Ultimate: Galaxy Rangers
by Ryuranger
Summary: A boy stumbles into the world of legend when the Galaxy Rangers rise to face the Space Pirates Balban. (Takes place during Year Three of my Ultimate Power Rangers series but can be read as a standalone).
1. Legend Reborn

_**Author's note:**__ The following adaptation of Seijuu Sentai Gingaman takes place during Year Three of my Ultimate Power Rangers series, a massive AU/Reboot that incorporates Sentai, Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes, and anime. _

* * *

**Legend Reborn**

A buffer of dense woodland separated Angel Grove South's border from the city of Stone Canyon. An older Japanese resident of Stone Canyon sat in those woods and drew a picture of a small acorn person as his 11-year-old son Ryuuta watched.

"A little acorn man?" Ryuuta asked. "Have you lost it, dad?"

"No," Haruhiko Aoyama said. "I saw it here once when I was a boy." Mr. Aoyama sighed with wonderment and nodded as he looked across the woodland surrounding them. He was using the woods as inspiration for a children's book he planned to write and illustrate. "There's a real legend in this forest."

Ryuuta rolled his eyes and walked back into the car. "Dad, you're crazy," he said. "This is the scientific age. There's no such thing as legends," he said as he fiddled with a Game Boy.

His dad came by the window. "Sure there is. Now…do you want to come walking with me? There's a trail not far from here."

"No," Ryuuta said, keeping his eyes on his game. "I'll stay here."

His dad sighed. "Fine. Be that way."

Mr. Aoyama started to walk away.

Ryuuta tried to keep focused on his game, but he found that a feeling of guilt swelled up stronger in his throat with each step his father took away from the car. He sighed and stepped out of the vehicle. "Dad, wait!"

Hidden in the forest, a foot-tall acorn person laughed quietly to himself as he watched the father and son walk by. "It's impossible to enter this forest, Boku," he whispered.

The strange acorn's collar propelled and lifted him from a tree branch. The acorn, Boku, flew through a mystic border with a flash of golden light. He entered a pocket dimension on the other side of the border.

Lush forest spanned the pocket dimension. Men and women in strange tribal clothing attended to various chores as Boku hovered past them.

The men and woman were preparing for a special ceremony that happened only once a generation. Five swords and holsters were on display, held upward by thin pedestals in front of a large leather canvas painted with ancient writings and drawings.

An old man with a white beard used his cane for support as he walked around the swords. He was the Shaman Ohghi. "Seijuukin…" he said, calling the swords by their name. He looked into the air. "It's time to select the next warriors." He shook his head. "The days pass fast."

* * *

Deeper in the hidden forest, two brothers sparred. Ryouma was the younger of the pair, dressed in a red vest with a white undershirt. His brother Hyuuga wore black with a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

Ryouma leapt forward and extended his hand towards his older brother. "Mane of Flame!" Ryouma's palm launched a stream of fire towards Hyuuga.

Hyuuga quickly dove aside and rolled across the ground before rising in a crouched position. "Ha!" Hyuuga shouted as he extended his hand and launched a stream of flame from his palm.

The fire stream blasted Ryouma from the air. The teen crashed against the ground.

Hyuuga rose to his feet and shook his head while walking towards his younger brother. "Ryouma…" he said as he extended his hand and helped his younger brother up.

"I'm alright," Ryouma said as he dusted himself off. "Your Aasu is strong," he said. "I can see why you were chosen."

Hyuuga sighed. "Ryouma, your Aasu is strong too, but…"

A teenage girl walked from the trees towards them. She wore a white blouse with an intricate pink scarf.

"Hyuuga," the girl said as she jumped onto his back. "It's time for the festival. We'd better get to the plaza."

Hyuuga smiled. "Get off me Saya," he said playfully as he grabbed her arms and pulled her off his back.

Three other teens entered the clearing. Gouki was dressed in a blue and white outfit and blue headband, Hayate wore a green shirt laced with black and yellow, and Hikaru wore a yellow and black vest.

Saya walked over towards Ryouma, smiling at him. "I thought you would be depressed, but you don't look like it."

"Why would I be depressed?" Ryouma asked.

"Well," Saya said. "We always practice together, but you weren't chosen as one of the five warriors."

Ryouma shrugged. "I'm not surprised," he said.

Hikaru smiled as he ate an apple. "Still," he said, "there's nothing to do with your Aasu anymore. It's wasted."

Hikaru extended his hand and blasted a rock with a yellow bolt of electricity.

Hayate smacked him over the head. "Don't waste your Aasu," he said. "Besides. It's time to get going."

Hyuuga nodded. "Right…Gouki! Let's go!"

Gouki was practicing kneeling and receiving a sword. He was using a slender stick as a prop as the others laughed at him.

Hikaru ran past him and grabbed the stick that Gouki was using. "Look what I have!"

"Hey!" Gouki ran after Hikaru. "Bring that back!"

The others chuckled as they began to walk off.

Ryouma hesitated for a moment. "Uh oh, I forgot. Mom asked me to run an errand."

Ryouma grabbed a bucket as Boku floated by him. "Ryouma…whatcha doin?"

"I have to find food for the festival," he said. "Wanna come with?"

"Follow me," Boku said as he hovered away. "I know the perfect place."

* * *

Outside the boundaries of the hidden Ginga Forest, Ryuuta walked alone through the woods. "Dad's on his own again," he said. "He always gets lost."

Ryuuta stopped in his tracks when he saw his father's car parked along an asphalt path. "This is where I started from," he said with confusion as he looked around. "What's with this forest?"

Then, Ryouma fell through the border along with Boku. Ryouma dusted himself off as he stood. "Ah...See…we're outside. I told you we were close to the border," Ryouma said.

Boku's eyes opened in surprise. "Ryouma, look behind you, behind you!"

Ryuuta stared wide-eyed at Ryouma.

* * *

The ceremony began within the Ginga Forest. Hayate, Gouki, Hikaru, Saya, and Hyuuga stood in front of the sword display. The old, bearded Shaman Ohghi paced by them. He started the ceremony by handing out the swords to the teens individually.

"The 133rd generation warrior of flame, Hyuuga." Hyuuga bowed and accepted his sword.

"Warrior of wind, Hayate." Hayate declined his head and grabbed the sword by its leather holster.

"Warrior of water, Gouki." Gouki was so nervous, he bumped his head against the sword, and some of the gathered children laughed.

"Warrior of thunder, Hikaru." Hikaru had a lopsided grin on his face as he accepted the blade.

"Warrior of flower, Saya." Saya gracefully bowed and accepted the sword.

"You Gingaman must awaken the Ginga Braces which are hidden in Mount Otakebi outside of our forest." The shaman pointed out to the distance. The mountain had a tall pillar on it, and inside were the symbols of five animals.

* * *

Ryouma and Ryuuta were talking outside the Ginga Forest boundaries.

"Huh? A legendary forest?" Ryuuta asked.

"Yeah," Ryouma said,

"But there's no such thing," Ryuuta got up and started to walk away. "This is the scientific age. There's no such thing as legends."

"I see," Ryouma said as he stood. "Well…even though we just met…I'll tell you the legend of this forest."

Ryuuta wrinkled his brow.

* * *

Back at the ceremony, the Shaman Ohghi was telling the same story.

"3,000 years ago, the Earth was entering a dark era and was attacked by the most evil of space pirates. They were known as Balban. Five warriors fought against the Balban using the power known as Aasu. Using that power, the Seijuu arrived on Earth. The Seijuu and the warriors became one, and the Balban was banished beneath the sea."

* * *

Ryuuta laughed. "That's a true story? You can't expect me to believe that?" he said as he laughed.

Ryouma nodded. "I understand why you can't believe it."

The forest ground began to shake violently. Ryouma felt a chill creep down his spine.

* * *

Ripples formed across the sea. A stone castle resting on top of a stone-encased dragon rose from the depths of the ocean. The stone around the castle cracked and shattered, revealing a castle of wood.

Inside, a man in leathery armor covered in what looked like zippers starting shooting his two guns in the air. His name was Sanbashu. He was happy to be free.

A skimpy-dressed woman in white armor stepped onto the deck. Her white hair contrasted her brown skin. Her name was Sherinda. "Stop, Sanbashu! You might damage something."

"Sherinda…" Sanbashu started to say threateningly as he stepped towards her.

A barbarian covered in spikes crashed onto the deck. He carried a broad axe slung over his shoulder. His name was Batbos. "Shut up, Sanbashu! You want me to kick your ass?"

The commotion awoke Iresia. She stepped onto the deck. Her clothing and face ornaments had an Egyptian look and style. "You spoiled my wonderful morning…"

Sanbashu walked towards her. "I can still make you happy…"

The sound of metal sliding into a holster came from the deck's main entrance. The samurai named Budo leaned against the frame with his sword in hand. "True happiness must be felt by oneself."

Sanbashu scoffed. "Whatever."

Orange soldiers known as Yattatoo burst into the room. They started chanting and waving their curved swords. Each soldier wore a bandana around its head and a brown leather strap across its chest. What appeared as an upside down question mark was on each grunt's orange face.

Sherinda walked over to a wooden keg, as tall as her waist. "Wake up, Bukarates," Sherinda said as she poked the keg with a sword. The keg yelped as a small troll-like man stood from within. The keg itself retracted around his back.

"What are you trying to do to me?" he asked as he rubbed his butt wound. "If I die, who would give you wisdom? I don't know what would happen…"

"Shut up," Sanbashu said as he pistol whipped the wise troll.

A door opened on the main platform deck. "Silence you bastards!" their leader said as he entered the room. He had a hook for a hand and a long dark cape covering his back.

"Zaihabu," Sherinda spoke his name as the troops fell into formation.

Four black banners lowered from the ceiling. The Balban generals, Sanbashu, Budo, Iresia, and Batbos, stood beneath their respective banners. Zaihabu nodded with approval as he ran his hand along his hook.

"Finally we have some luck," Zaihabu said. "After 3,000 years…we can do anything we want now…"

* * *

Wooden ships powered by a spell from Bukarates floated from the castle and streaked towards the city of Stone Canyon. Yattatoo were piled in the ships, along with the four generals.

* * *

Batbos leapt from a ship towards a group of skyscrapers below. A group of Yattatoo joined him in the plummet towards the surface.

The Yattatoo crashed through a skylight and into the lobby of a building. They armed their curved sabers and charged forward to attack the citizens, who were screaming and running in panic.

Batbos slammed his axe through support columns within the building, causing the lobby to collapse.

Budo stalked through the city streets, using his samurai sword to slash the tires of moving vehicles. Cars swerved out of control and crashed against one another.

Iresia entered jewelry stores while holding a crystal ball that emitted a high-pitched noise. The noise made people scream as Iresia and the soldiers lifted jewels and placed them into bags.

Sanbashu stalked down the street, shooting his two handguns at anything that moved.

* * *

Shaman Ohghi sensed the Balban. He wasted no time dispatching Hyuuga and the others into battle. The teens ran to their horses and mounted the beasts.

The young warriors rode forward, leaving the Ginga Tribe's boundary with a flash of light.

"Let's go!" Hyuuga shouted as they road on.

"Warriors!" they heard Ohghi shouting. "Go to Mount Outakebi. Awaken the Ginga Braces and fight as Gingaman!"

* * *

Ryouma wrinkled his brow as he watched his older brother and friends storm away from the Ginga Forest on their horses. He stood and watched them take off towards the distance. "Brother?" Ryouma asked himself. "Why did they come out to this world?"

Ryouma followed the horses. Ryuuta was at the teen's heels.

* * *

The horses stopped at the foot of the mountain, where the pillar extended towards the sky. Inside were five symbols, each representing an animal engraved on the Seijuukin.

"There," Hyuuga said as they dismounted.

Explosions sparked across the ground in front of them as they fell off their feet. Zaihabu's hovering boat landed between the teens and the mountain. Bukarates was inside the ship as well, along with a group of Yattatoo.

"They have the Seijuukin," Bukarates said. "They must be the descendants."

"You must be Balban," Hyuuga said as he and the others stood in defensive stances.

"You will pay for what your ancestors did to us!" Zaihabu yelled.

Yattatoo leapt from the boat and charged towards the teens.

"We have to get the Ginga Braces," Hyuuga said as he unsheathed his sword. "Let's go!"

The five warriors charged into battle.

Hyuuga dashed past a Yattatoo while running his blade through the soldier's gut, the sword sparking on impact. The warrior jump kicked a second grunt upside the head before chopping his sword down, ripping the soldier open from top to bottom with bursts of spark.

A group of seven soldiers rushed towards Hyuuga from the side. Hyuuga extended his palm towards them. "Ha!" He launched a stream of fire that exploded against the soldiers, knocking them backward as explosions ripped across their bodies.

Hayate held his sword upside down, with the handle upward and the blade downward. He spun past a soldier while slashing the grunt across the chest. Another group of soldiers rushed towards him.

Hayate extended his hand. "Ha!" He fired a stream of twirling wind from his palm that knocked against the soldiers and sent them flying backward.

Gouki slammed his elbow against a soldier's face. He turned to his left and chopped his sword down through a soldier's head with a powerful blow.

Gouki slammed his fist against the ground. "Ha!" Geysers of water erupted from the surface and blasted the soldiers backward.

Saya stood in a defensive stance as soldiers charged towards her. She thrust her hand forward. "Ha!" Energy petals gently swirled around her like flower petals in the breeze. The petals shot forward and cut through the soldiers like hot knives through butter. The grunts exploded and crashed to the ground.

* * *

Ryouma and Ryuuta came to a cliff and looked down on the battle below. "That's…" Ryouma started to say.

Ryuuta gasped. "What's going on!?"

Ryouma nodded. "I told you… That's the space pirate group, the Balban."

* * *

Hyuuga slashed a Yattatoo out of his way and dashed towards the mountain. Zaihabu leapt onto the ground to block the warrior's path. The villain lifted his hook arm. "This arm…I was injured in the last battle by Gingared. I'll show you how painful that was…"

Zaihabu shot his hook forward like an arrow. The hook was still connected to the villain's arm with a chain. The hook and chain wrapped around Hyuuga's neck. Zaihabu snapped the chain forward, tugging Hyuuga closer.

The pirate slashed his blade across the teen's chest. Hyuuga's body whipped backward and crashed to the ground.

"Brother!" Ryouma shouted as he hopped down the cliff.

Zaihabu walked closer to Hyuuga. Hyuuga was hunched over, his hand over the deep, bleeding cut across his chest. "Your injury is nothing compared to mine," Zaihabu said.

A basket struck Zaihabu in the head. The pirate turned to see Ryouma charged towards him.

"Stop!" Ryouma shouted as he dashed forward towards the villain.

"Ryouma, don't!" Hyuuga yelled.

Ryouma pounced like a lion towards Zaihabu. The pirate used its hook arm to bash Ryouma from the air. Ryouma crashed against the ground, but quickly rolled to his knees and assumed a crouched fighting stance.

Ryouma thrust his hand forward towards the pirate. "Ha!" Fireballs leapt from his palm and exploded against the villain's armor. The captain barely seemed to notice.

"You have no power, even though you are their descendant," Zaihabu said. He transformed his hook arm into a cannon. "Get out of my sight!"

The cannon fired.

"Ryouma!" Hyuuga shouted as he pounced forward and pushed his older brother out of harm's way. The cannon blast exploded with a shockwave that sent the two brothers crashing backward.

Zaihabu slammed his curved blade against the ground. A massive crack formed in the ground and streaked towards the brothers as the earth split open.

Hyuuga could not avoid the crack as the ground split in two beneath his feet. He fell downward, but managed to grab onto a stone to keep from plummeting towards the depths below.

"Brother!" Ryouma yelled as he ran to the edge and laid down, extended his hand towards Hyuuga. "Give me your hand!"

Hyuuga reached as hard as he could but he couldn't touch his brother's hand.

Zaihabu fired his chain to the other side of the cliff. "You are not as strong as your ancestors," he said as he started to pull the split back together.

Four smaller ships suddenly hovered downward from the air. The Balban generals had arrived.

"Captain!" Sanbashu shouted as he and the others leapt from the ships and landed on the ground below.

"Did you find them?" Iresia asked.

"Yes," Zaihabu said. "But they're not as strong as their ancestors."

Ryouma kept trying to reach his brother's hand. "Brother!"

"Ryouma," Hyuuga said as he started to slip. "Listen to me. You do have great Aasu. You just don't believe in yourself…"

Zaihabu pulled harder as the earth shook.

Hyuuga extended his saber upward. "Ryouma…take it."

Ryouma shook his head as tears streamed to his face. "No! Give me your hand! Hurry!"

Hyuuga placed the sword in Ryouma's hand.

"Ryouma," Hyuuga said softly. "I believe in your strength."

"Brother!"

Zaihabu gave a final pull. "Go to hell!" he shouted as he pulled the crack closer together.

Hyuuga slipped and fell towards the darkness below.

"Brother!" Ryouma yelled. The ground slammed closed.

"Hyuuga!" the others yelled as they ran to Ryouma's side. Ryouma slowly rose to his feet, his body trembling. His knuckles were turning white from grasping the saber so tightly.

The generals laughed at the teens. "You are miserable," Batbos said.

"You disgrace the names of your ancestors," Budo said.

Ryouma wrinkled his brow and glared at the Balban. "Brother…" He called upon all his anger and sorrow. He let his emotions fuel him. He shouted a war cry and raised his hands in front of his chest.

"Main of Flame!" He shouted as he thrust his hands forward. A massive torrent of flames shot forth, a blanket of fire that exploded against the gathered villains, knocking them backward with a massive burst of sparks and flame.

The five teens stood together boldly as the Balban rose to their feet. Ryouma tightened his grip on the sword.

"I won't forgive you," Ryouma shouted. "We'll destroy you!"

The pillar erupted as the braces shot forward in streaks of light. The light struck the teens and wrapped around their wrists as their braces formed.

Ryouma looked at the others with a fierce look of determination in his eyes. They nodded and armed their braces.

"Let's go!" Ryouma shouted. "Ginga Tensei!" Ryouma twisted the dial on his morpher, which clicked into position over a red line. "Ha!"

The teens slapped their braces' activation panels. The energy of their elements circled like pillars around them as they morphed into their armor.

"It's them," Zaihabu grumbled.

The Rangers snapped into fighting stances.

"Gingared! Ryouma!"

"Gingagreen! Hayate!"

"Gingablue! Gouki!"

"Gingayellow! Hikaru!"

"Gingapink! Saya!"

Gingared extended his hand. "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy! Seijuu Sentai!"

Together, they shouted. "Gingaman!"

"Gingaman!" Sherinda cursed.

"Break!" Gingared shouted as they jumped into action.

Gingablue pounced forward and grabbed a soldier by the back of the neck. The Blue Ranger slammed the grunt to the ground, bashing the soldier's head against the ground. Gingablue rolled across the ground towards his next target.

Gingayellow jumped and hopped through a group of soldiers that were swinging their curved swords towards the Ranger. The Yellow Ranger moved in low and sweep kicked a grunt's leg away. Gingayellow rose back to his feet and flipped another soldier over his shoulder.

Gingayellow rolled to his side and kicked the legs out from another grunt. The Yellow Ranger grabbed the soldier by the neck and started to drag the soldier across the ground. Gingayellow slammed the soldier's head against a tree and rolled aside.

Meanwhile, Gingagreen crouched on the ground with his arms stretched out. He sprang through the air, bounced off a tree with his feet, and glided past a group of soldiers while slashing his sword across their armor.

Galaxy Green landed while grabbing two soldiers by the neck and pushing them to the ground. He used his hands like claws to bash their faces before leaping away towards his next opponents.

Gingapink charged towards a group of soldiers. She pounced forward and slammed the grunt to the ground. She clawed across the soldier's face before rolling off the grunt.

Gingared shouted a war cry and charged towards Zaihabu and the Balban generals. "Seijuukin!" he shouted as he unsheathed his sword. He held the blade forward as he ran towards the villains.

Sanbashu extended his gun and emptied several rounds. Bullets exploded against Gingared as the Ranger ran through the blasts, ignoring the attack.

Zaihabu fired his cannon at the Ranger. Gingared dove over the blast, rolled forward across the ground, and rose back to his feet while continuing his charge.

The generals stood in front of their captain to protect him. Gingared dashed past each of the villains while slashing across their bodies. The Red Ranger dashed past the generals and moved in straight towards the captain.

Gingared jumped towards Zaihabu while swinging his blade down towards the captain's head. Zaihabu used his hook to catch the sword. The captain twisted the blade downward and slashed his own curved blade across the Red Ranger's chest. The blade sparked upon impact and knocked the Ranger backward.

Gingared rolled back into a crouched position and thrust his hands forward. "Ha!" he shouted as he fired a stream of flame that exploded against the captain and knocked him backward.

Zaihabu slowly rose to his feet. His generals regrouped around him.

Gingared slowly brought his blade upward as strands of crimson energy collected in the blade's hilt. Gingared brought the blade down towards his chest and twisted the sword so its edge faced the Balban. Red energy flared upward on the saber.

"Mane of flame!" Gingared swung the saber downward with a streak of fiery red energy. The blade produced a shockwave that exploded against the Balban captain and generals with a burst of spark.

The five Rangers regrouped as Ryuuta watched, his eyes wide open with amazement.

"Okay Gingaman," Zaihabu said as he and the other Balban moved back towards their ships. "You've won this battle, but don't think you've won the war!"

The Balban leapt onto their ships and flew back into the air, streaking into the skies.

Gingared looked down at the sword held tightly in his hand. "Brother…"

**To be continued…**


	2. Sacrifices

**Sacrifices**

Zaihabu paced back and forth across the deck of his ship. His generals and soldiers were assembled in front of him. He ran his one hand along the hook he wore on his other wrist. "We can't sever our relations with the Gingaman…"

"Let me take command!" the psychotic Sanbashu shouted. "I'll wipe them out!"

"Wait…" The captain said. "We have a problem we need to take care of before we kill Gingaman. _Our_ seal has been broken, but the seal of Daitanix hasn't. This ship was our life line. With it, we could travel through the galaxy from planet to planet. After we would steal all from a planet, Daitanix would devour the world and absorb its energy."

Sherinda slammed her hand against a bulkhead. "If we cannot fly in our ship, our seals might as well have never been broken!"

* * *

The tribe gathered in the Ginga Forest at night. Various torches were lit among the trees for Hyuuga's memorial service. Ryouma, Hayate, Goukai, Hikaru, and Saya kneeled on the ground and held their Seijuukin in front of their faces with their eyes closed.

"Now Hyuuga's soul has gone to the galaxy with the Seijuu," Shaman Ohghi said with his head held low.

Ryouma slowly opened his eyes and looked over the blade of his sword. Hyuuga's sword. His mind flashed back…

_Ryouma kept trying to reach his brother's hand. "Brother!"_

"_Ryouma," Hyuuga said as he started to slip. "Listen to me. You do have great Aasu. You just don't believe in yourself…"_

_Zaihabu pulled harder as the earth shook. _

_Hyuuga extended his saber upward. "Ryouma…take it."_

_Ryouma shook his head as tears streamed to his face. "No! Give me your hand! Hurry!"_

_Hyuuga placed the sword in Ryouma's hand._

"_Ryouma," Hyuuga said softly. "I believe in your strength."_

"_Brother!"_

_Zaihabu gave a final pull. "Go to hell!" he shouted as he pulled the crack closer together._

_Hyuuga slipped and fell towards the darkness below._

"_Brother!" Ryouma yelled. The ground slammed closed. _

The teens gathered around a camp fire later that night after the ceremony ended. Hikaru threw a rock with anger. "Balban…" he growled. "I'll kill them."

Hayate shook his head. "But there's no way to seal them anymore…and the Seijuu from 3,000 years ago are no more."

"We can still fight them!" Hikaru yelled.

Ryouma nodded. "We're at a disadvantage…but I will still fight with all my Aasu."

"The Seijuu must come," Shaman Ohghi said as he stepped towards them from the trees. "You must have faith in the stars."

* * *

Bukarates kept to himself in a corner on the ship's deck. He thumbed his way through an old, dusty book. "I see…" he said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Zaihabu asked.

"Energy…" Bukarates said. "Daitanix doesn't have enough energy for its revival. Give Daitanix energy, and he'll awaken."

"Okay!" Sanbashu shouted with impatient excitement. "Come out, Korushiza!" he shouted as a crab-like creature stepped onto the deck from a nearby door. The villain had an energy rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Kyumachi," Budo said. The door to the general's corridors slid open, and out stepped a warrior dressed in ancient- Japanese type garments and armor. He inclined his head.

"Come here, Medon Medou," Iresia said as she waved her hand over a crystal ball she carried in her palm. A snake-like creature with Medusa-like hair appeared on the railing of a stairwell that led onto the deck.

"Dangasu," Batbos said as he slammed the end of his axe against the ground. A creature covered head to toe in metal armor stepped onto the deck. What looked like large tread blades were attached to his shoulders.

"Wait!" Sanbashu said. "I will handle this matter!"

"Why you?" Iresia said as the group of generals began arguing.

"Silence…" Zaihabu said, but they kept arguing.

Sherinda tossed her sword like a spear at them. Sanbashu caught the blade. The scarcely clad Balban woman shouted at the generals. "Stop!" she shouted. "The captain commands you!"

"This infighting is exactly what brought on our defeat from the Gingaman 3,000 years ago! We will try a new strategy this time." Zaihabu pulled four cards out from his belt. "Divide these among you. The winner will go." The captain tossed his four cards forward. Each general caught a card in their hand. "Who has the Joker?"

"I do!" Sanbashu said as he flipped the card around.

"Then you will do it," Zaihabu said. "Go collect the energy."

"Here," Bukarates said as he waddled towards the crab creature with a small box. The black box was outlined in faded gold. "Collect the energy with this."

"Good…get to it!" Sanbashu shouted.

"Okay!" Korushiza shouted as he left the castle ship.

Sherinda watched the villain leave as her mind wandered. Bukarates had said the ship needed energy. Energy. An evil grin crossed her face. She knew the perfect place.

* * *

During the day, Ryuuta and his father drove through the city streets of Stone Canyon on their way back to their home. Ryuuta was playing a handheld game when his father suddenly skid the car to a halt. Ryuuta nearly banged his head on the dashboard.

"Dad!" Ryuuta said. "What ya do that for?"

His dad pointed forward. Cars were screeching to a halt as Yattatoo swarmed across the streets. The villains leapt onto cars and smashed their swords through windshields. The soldiers pulled motorists from their vehicles and tossed them to the ground.

The Balban monster stepped forward and placed his foot on the hood of a nearby car. "That's a nice vehicle," he said. "Now where's its energy."

The creature used his brute strength to lift the car high above his head. He slammed the car back against the ground. Gas started leaking from the tank. The villain turned towards the grunts. "Gather it!"

The Yattatoo held the storage box beneath the car and started to gather the gasoline. The villain watched with approval. "Yes…" he said. "This is the energy we will use to revive Daitanix!"

* * *

Boku hovered through the Ginga Forest as fast as he could. The small creature flew over towards a clearing where the teens were gathered. "Everyone! Balban are attacking the city!"

Ryouma snarled. "Let's go." Ryouma and the others grabbed their Seijuukin and strapped the blades across their backs.

* * *

Sherinda lead the Yattatoo through the woods north of Stone Canyon. They came to a stop. "The Forest is nearby…"

The Yattatoo started to charge forward, but Sherinda extended her sword to stop the soldiers. "Wait!" She took a step in front of them. "This is just the border. Hmmm. This will be child's play."

Sherinda energized her blade and swung horizontally through the air. The saber tore a slash through the border of the pocket dimension that held the Ginga Forest. She placed her hand in the rip and tore a hole open large enough to walk through.

Sherinda led the Yattatoo into the forest. She extended her sword and started shouting commands. "Go! To the center of the forest!"

The rangers skid to a halt nearby when they watched the villains charge onto their land.

"Why are they here?" Saya asked.

"They're headed towards our village," Hayate said.

"We have to stop them," Hikaru said.

* * *

Shaman Ohghi paced back and forth with his staff as various warriors equipped themselves with swords, daggers, and bows and arrows. "Be on guard…They're coming."

The Yattatoo charged forward from the trees with their curved sabers in hand. The warriors returned the advance. The two armies slammed against each other and clashed swords.

A group of archers climbed to the treetops and set their sets on the second wave of grunts in the distance. They snapped a volley of arrows that arced through the air and struck down several dozen soldiers.

Ryouma, Hikaru, Hayate, Gouki, and Saya charged at the advancing grunts from the flank and started slashing through them, blades sparking on impact while ripping through the soldiers.

Ohghi knitted his brow when he saw the young warriors continue their advance through the enemy soldiers. "What are you still doing here?! I told you to go to the city!"

Hikaru swung upward, slashing through a solider. "We can't leave while the Balban are still here."

Nearby, Sherinda casually walked through the ranks of tribesmen. Her hand was held forward as she fired jagged energy beams from her palm. The beams tore through some of the tribe's finest warriors.

She smiled as she sensed the forest's raw power. The Ginga Forest was pulsing with life. "This forest is ripe with energy."

Sherinda tossed a metallic sphere covered with spikes onto the ground. The spiked object started to drain the life forces from the forest. The sphere pulsed with power and slowly started to expand.

"They're trying to steal the forest's energy!" Ohghi shouted. His face grew pale when he realized what the Balban were plotting. "I see…They're trying to revive Daitanix."

"No!" Gouki shouted.

Gouki pounced forward and chopped his blade down towards the growing sphere. His sword struck an invisible energy shield that knocked the teen backward. Gouki crashed to the ground and tumbled backward.

Sherinda laughed. "It's impossible for you to remove my device."

* * *

Back in the city, Yattatoo continued to overturn cars at random and pull out the drivers. Ryuuta opened his eyes wide as the grunts came closer. "Dad…let's get out of here!"

Ryuuta bolted from the car door and started running. "Ryuuta!" Mr. Aoyama sighed. "That boy with be the death of me."

* * *

Sherinda cut down a tribe soldier and kicked his body away. The villain laughed as the sphere gathered more strands of energy. "Yes…take it all..."

Saya slashed a soldier away from her. "Ryouma…we have to stop her."

Ryouma slammed the end of his sword's handle against a soldier's face. "But how? Our weapons can't break through her energy screen."

"There's only one way…" Ohghi said.

"How?" Hayate asked.

Shaman Ohghi looked into the air. He slammed his staff against the earth below his feet. "Forest! Here me! Your life force must be protected!"

Ohghi pulled a palm-held mirror from beneath his cloak. He tossed the mirror upward into the air. The mirror pulsed with blue light that poured forth. The light splashed across the ground and spread across the forest.

Every leave, branch, blade of grass, and every piece of dirt in the forest slowly started to turn to stone.

"What are you doing?" Hayate shouted.

"The forest must be protected," Ohghi said. "You, the chosen warriors, must go to the city and stop the Balban. You must not let them revive Daitanix."

Ryouma slashed upward across a soldier's chest. He narrowed his eyes as the forest around him slowly became stone. "Guys…let's go!"

"That old fool," Sherinda said. "Yattatoo! Fall back!"

Boku hovered down towards the wise man. "Elder!"

"Boku," Ohghi said as he pulled out a thick seed. "Give this to the Gingaman…you must go with them."

"Elder," Boku said. He did not want to leave the wise man or forest behind.

"Go Boku…"

The wave of stone slowly crept up to Ohghi. The shaman kept his gaze fixed on the sky as he turned to stone.

Boku reluctantly flew through the air towards the border of the forest. Ryouma and the others mounted on their horses and sped off towards the border.

"Don't look back!" Ryouma shouted as he led his team through the border.

* * *

Cars exploded across the city streets as Korushiza and the Yattatoo continued to gather as much gasoline as they could. Ryuuta and his father ducked for cover at the base of a nearby building.

"Ryuuta," his dad said as he sat down, out of breath. "Let's rest for a while."

"We can't," Ryuuta said. "We have to go…get up and run."

A large chunk of debris almost fell on them as they screamed, bracing themselves. But five blurs of motion lead them to safety. Ryouma and his team got Ryuuta and Mr. Aoyama out of harm's way.

"Ryouma!" Ryuuta said as his eyes lit up.

Ryouma nodded. "Stay here."

The five teens ran off to face the Balban monster and Yattatoo.

* * *

"Collect more!" Korushiza shouted, not realizing that trying to collect gasoline to revive the beast-ship Daitanix was as futile as it was stupid. "We almost have enough."

"Stop!" Ryouma shouted as he and the other teens ran towards the villains.

"You…" the monster growled.

"Balban," Ryouma said. "This ends right now!"

"Hmph…" the monster scoffed. "Get them!"

Yattatoo leapt forward with their curved blades to attack the teens while jumping over any toppled car or vehicle in their way. The warriors stood firm and armed their braces.

"Ginga Tensei!" Ryouma twisted the dial on his morpher, which clicked into position over a red line. "Ha!"

The teens slapped their braces' activation panels. The energy of their elements circled like pillars around them as they morphed into their armor. They snapped into animal-like fighting stances.

"Gingared, Ryouma!"

"Gingagreen, Hayate!"

"Gingablue, Gouki!"

"Gingayellow, Hikaru!"

"Gingapink, Saya!"

Gingared thrust his hand forward. "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy…Seijuu Sentai…" Together, they shouted: "Gingaman!"

"Yattatoo…stop them!" the monster yelled.

"Break!" Gingared shouted as the Rangers pounced forward to attack.

Gingablue flipped across the ground and double kicked two soldiers while standing on his hands. Then he flipped on the ground sideways, wrapping his legs around a soldier's ankles and tripping that soldier to the ground. He bashed that soldier across the face.

Gingapink scaled up a building while holding a soldier. "Later," she said as she let the soldier fall.

Gingagreen turned around slowly in his condor stance. He ducked under two villains swords, and then jumped over the same villains' low attacks as he kicked both soldiers across the face while in midair. He flipped and twirl kicked off of several more soldiers.

Gingayellow was clinging to the bottom a fire escape as he kicked and threw soldiers to the streets below.

Gingared and the monster tackled into each other, though neither one was pushed back. Gingared knocked the villain's hands away, and they both backfisted each other at the same time and were taken back. They circled around each other, Galaxy Red's movements were of the Lion.

They charged. Gingared double inner blocked a blow from the monster, then grabbed the creature by the head and tossed him over his shoulder and to the ground.

The monster rose to his knees as Gingared dashed forward, but the creature kicked Gingared back, and then fired at the Ranger with his energy rifle twice.

Gingared barely managed to dodge the blasts as he rolled over to a small pile of crates.

"Ha!" he shouted as he placed his hands together and blasted the monster with a fire stream. The stream exploded against the villain and knocked him backward. The pirate slowly rose to his feet, smoke still rising from his body.

"Seijuukin!" Gingared shouted as he unsheathed his sword.

Gingared slowly brought his blade upward as strands of crimson energy collected in the blade's hilt. Gingared brought the blade down towards his chest and twisted the sword so its edge faced the Balban. Red energy flared upward on the saber.

"Mane of flame!" Gingared swung the saber downward with a streak of fiery red energy. The blade produced a shockwave that exploded against the Balban creature with a burst of spark.

Gingared stood boldly in a victory stance as the other Rangers gathered around him.

"Bastards…" Korushiza cursed with his dying breath. He used the last of his strength to pull a vial out from his jacket. The vial's liquid was sold on the galaxy's black market 3,000 years ago. It was called Balban Essence.

Korushiza drank from vial. Its liquid started coursing through his veins and caused his body to expand. The creature grew giant.

"How are we supposed to fight him now?" Gingayellow asked.

"Like this!" Gingared shouted as he leapt up towards the monster. The giant swatted the Red Ranger from the air.

Gingared crashed against the ground as the others regrouped around him. He rose to his feet and looked up as the giant monster pointed his rifle downward.

Five beams of light suddenly shot down from the skies and exploded around the monster. The villain crashed against the ground. The giant Balban rose to his feet and looked up to see five giant beasts, a red lion, a yellow wolf, a pink wildcat, a blue gorilla, and a green condor.

"That's…" Gingared and the others ran closer to the creatures. "It's the Seijuu!"

Korushiza rose to his feet and glared at the Star Beasts. "So…it's the Seijuu!"

The monster rose from the ground with his hand on his head.

The lion stalked towards the monster. The beast looked down at Gingared and lightly growled.

"You want me to hop on?" Gingared asked.

The lion quietly growled. Gingared could understand the beast.

"Okay…here goes nothing," Gingared hopped onto the head of the lion. The lion and Gingared started to glow with fiery energy.

"He's doing it," Gingagreen said. "Ryouma's combining his Aasu with the Seijuu."

"Ha!" Gingared shouted as the lion opened its mouth. A Torrent of flame shot out that intercepted a rifle blast from the monster. The rifle blast and fire stream intercepted each other with an initial feedback explosion that caused the streets to tremble. The fire stream and plasma blast continued to resist each other.

The fire stream overpowered the villain's attack. The stream rolled across the Balban monster, burning its body into ashes and incinerating the creature.

* * *

The teens ran through the forest and stopped at the shore of a newly emerged lake. The lake covered the area that had once been the hidden Ginga Forest. They stared quietly as the waves slapped against the shore.

Saya bent down towards the water and picked up a small rose, a flower she recognized as coming from their village.

Gouki began to cry.

"Gouki!" Hikaru yelled, secretly biting back his own tears. "Stop crying!"

"There's only one thing for us to do now," Hayate said.

Ryouma nodded. "We have to stay here. Stay and finish the Balban."

"We have the Seijuu now," Saya said. "We can win."

Ryouma nodded. "We will win."

**To be continued…**


	3. Bitter Cold

**Bitter Cold**

The sun was rising off the coast of California, casting beams of light off of the floating dragon-castle Daitanix.

Inside, Sanbashu stood in front of Budo and fired his twin guns at his fellow general. Budo used his sword to deflect the bullets. Budo extended his sword towards Sanbashu and fired a blade of cyan energy that slammed into the other general's armor, causing him to fall to the ground.

"You fight with no grace," Budo said to his fallen opponent.

Sanbashu rolled his hands up into fists as he rose to his feet. "I'll show you grace, you blue-faced freak!" he shouted as he charged towards Budo. Budo raised his blade and prepared to defend himself.

Iresia sat nearby watching, as she waved her hands over her crystal ball. She cast a spell as invisible energy lifted Sanbashu and Budo from the ground and tossed them around. "The trouble with you boys is you don't know how to fight without getting your hands dirty."

Batbos's foot slammed into the back of Iresia's neck as she fell to the ground. Her spell was interrupted as Sanbashu and Budo fell from the air.

"Iresia," Batbos said as he readied his axe and walked towards her. "There is no other way to fight."

"Silence you idiots!" Zaihabu said as he stepped onto the deck with Bukarates and Sherinda at his side.

"We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves," Sherinda said.

Zaihabu began pacing across the deck as his general's stood at loose attention. "Now that the Seijuu have arrived, it's even more important that we revive Daitanix. Sanbashu…don't fail me this time."

"Right," Sanbashu said as turned to the door leading to his chambers. "Rigurou!" he shouted as he shot at the door. The door swung open, and a fat, wolverine-type creature stepped out. "Rigurou here can absorb heat. Heat we can use to fire up our ship!"

"Hmmm…" Bukarates said thoughtfully. "I think heat will be about as useful as that fossil fuel you tried to collect with your last-"

"What?!" Sanbashu said as he grabbed Bukarates by the collar and lifted the stout villain off his feet. "Are you questioning me?!"

"Stop," Zaihabu said. "Just go collect the energy I need for my ship."

* * *

The five teens awoke as the sun started to rise. They had set up a small campfire by the lake that used to be the Ginga Forest and had spent the night there. Boku, the little acorn man, hovered over the fire and extinguished the flames with a bucket of sand.

On the other side of the lake, the five gigantic Seijuu roared.

The five teens stopped moving around and stared at the Seijuu.

"What are you trying to tell us?" Ryouma asked. Then, the small acorn necklace he wore around his neck flashed and opened. A small seed fell from it and dropped to the ground. Ryouma bent over and picked up the seed.

"It's the necklace the Elder gave me, Boku," Boku said.

"Do you know what it's for?" Hayate asked.

"No," Boku said mournfully.

"Ryouma!" young Ryuuta shouted as he ran down a hill towards his new friends. "Good news!"

Ryouma smiled at him. "What is it, Ryuuta?"

"I talked to my Dad! He said you can stay with us!" Ryuuta said.

"Your dad?" Saya said.

"Yeah," Ryuuta said as he looked behind him. Mr. Aoyama was hiding behind a tree several feet behind them. He looked at the Seijuu with fear out of the corner of his eyes and then waved nervously at the five heroes.

"My riding club is big enough," Mr. Aoyama said. "You can stay as long as you need and board your horses there."

"That would be great," Hikaru said.

"Thank you, so much," Saya said.

Haruhiko smiled and nodded. GingaLion roared his gratification, causing Mr. Aoyama to cower further behind the tree.

Gouki sighed as he turned to face the lake. He missed his home. Ryouma turned and noticed the look of sorrow in his friend's face. "Gouki…"

* * *

A few hours later, Gingaman's horses were tied up outside of the Silver Star horse ranch and riding club as the five teens gathered inside with Ryuuta and his father.

Mr. Aoyama provided the teens with fresh clothes so they'd be able to fit in with the citizens of Stone Canyon. They had all changed, except for Gouki. Gouki sat alone at a window as Mr. Aoyama and Ryuuta showed the others around the main living room.

"These fit almost perfectly," Ryouma said as he straightened his faded red t-shirt.

"We can't thank you enough," Hayate said as he buttoned the top button of his solid green dress shirt he wore untucked.

"We're even color coded," Hikaru said as he tugged on his black and yellow flannel shirt, which he wore unbuttoned over a yellow t-shirt.

Saya laughed as she playfully shrugged Hikaru. "Hikaru…" She wore a simple pink t-shirt and jeans.

"Gouki," Ryouma said as he looked to his friend. "Aren't you going to change?"

Gouki sighed. "Yeah," he said quietly as he got up and went to the back room.

Ryuuta was too excited about his new friends to notice Gouki's depression. "Let me show you around!"

He ran behind a table and pointed at a digital clock. "We have a lot of cool technology."

"Ryuuta," Ryouma said with a smile. "We may seclude ourselves in the forest, but we do know all about your city."

"Yeah," Hikaru said as picked up the cordless phone. "We know more than you think, little guy." The phone rang, and Hikaru yelped as he tossed it in the air. "What the…"

Mr. Aoyama leapt across the floor and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

Boku laughed at Hikaru as he hovered around the teens.

"Ryouma," Hayate said as he walked over to him. "Let me see that seed. The one in the necklace.

Ryouma unlatched the necklace and handed Hayate the seed.

* * *

The teens and Ryuuta gathered outside as Hayate began to plant the seed. Gouki was still dressed in his tribal gear. "Let's see just what…"

Hayate leapt back as a gigantic tree started to spring from the ground and sprout branches that extended towards the sky.

"That is one big tree, Boku."

The teens circled around it and stared in amazement. "I've never seen anything like it," Saya said.

Gouki placed his hands on the tree and closed his eyes. "The Ginga Forest…"

* * *

On the edge of Stone Canyon, where the city meshed with the forest, citizens ran in panic as Rigurou chased after them. He was on the trail of two screaming women.

"You two are looking hot tonight!" he shouted as he extended his hands towards them. Heat bled from the two women in the form of red energy as it was absorbed into Rigurou. The monster made his way towards a more populated area and began absorbing heat from everyone and everything in sight. It wasn't long before snow started to fall and a thick frost covered the ground.

Rigurou pranced through the snow, taking time to be impressed with his handy work. Then, two pairs of hands grabbed his feet as Gingared and Gingagreen came from nowhere and flipped him onto the ground.

The five Gingaman regrouped as the monster rose to his feet. "Gingaman!"

"Seijuukin!" they shouted as they readied their swords. Yattatoo appeared, and the five warriors started to do battle.

Gingablue batted soldiers left and right with his blade, using his brute strength to drive his weapon through his opponents.

Gingapink handled her sword with the grace of the wildcat as she deflected several blows and struck down her enemies.

Gingayellow was as agile as the wolf as he maneuvered through a group of Yattatoo, striking them down one by one while dodging blows.

Gingagreen grabbed onto a bar with his legs and flipped upside down. He struck soldiers with his blade while hanging from the bar as a bird.

Gingared slashed the final soldier out of his way, and then stepped towards the monster while crouched as a lion.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Rigurou said as he teleskipped backwards and out of sight.

* * *

Later that day, Gouki sat at the shore of the lake with his head down as Ryouma walked up behind him.

"Hey," Ryouma said as he sat down next to him. "You've been kind of quiet."

"Sorry," Gouki said. "Sorry I can't forget and shed my past as easy as you."

Ryouma sighed. "Gouki, you know us better than that. We miss our home as much as you do, but we have to stop the Balban. If we fail, what happens to Stone Canyon will make what happened to our home seem glamorous. We have to protect these people like Elder wanted. Then, once we stop the Balban, we can go home again."

They heard a ringing as a booming voice started to speak to them. "Ryouma, Gouki, I am speaking to you through your Ginga Braces."

"What?" Ryouma asked as he held the brace closer to his mouth.

"Prepare for teleportation," a high-pitched voice said.

"Tele-what?" Gouki asked as the two warriors disappeared in streaks of light.

* * *

The five Gingaman appeared in the Command Chamber as they huddled together.

"Where are we?" Saya asked.

"The Balban's tricks," Hayate said.

"Please do not be alarmed," Alpha said as he waddled over to them. "We mean you no harm."

Zordon materialized as the five warriors faced him in shock. "Greetings. I am Zordon of Eltar, friend of your Elder, Shaman Ohghi. It was I who helped him design your braces."

"You?" Ryouma asked.

"You're a floating head," Hikaru said.

"Very astute observation," Zordon said. Some of Rocky's sarcasm had rubbed off on him. "I have brought you here to assure you that your quest to defeat the Balban will not go unguided. The seed that Ohghi gave you holds the key to birthing a special being known as Moku. Moku will…"

Alarms blared in the Command Chamber. The Viewing Globe activated, and Rigurou was seen stomping through the snow-covered streets of Stone Canyon.

"Him again," Hayate said.

"To defeat this creature and restore the city, you must release the heat stored up inside of him," Zordon said. "Go now, Galaxy Rangers."

"Galaxy Rangers, huh?" Hikaru said.

"Let's go," Ryouma said.

* * *

Rigurou continued to absorb heat from the city. A car screeched and lost control along the icy road as it crashed into a building an exploded. The monster was quick to absorb the heat from the explosion.

"Stop!" Ryouma yelled as the teens arrived.

"Gingaman," the monster said as he fired twin heat beams at the teens.

They rolled out of the way from the blasts as they rose to their feet. "Ginga Tensei, ha!" They transformed into their armor as they assumed fighting stances.

"Galaxy Red, Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green, Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue, Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow, Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink, Saya!"

"The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy…Star Beast Task Force, Galaxy Rangers!"

The Yattatoo charged at the heroes as the Rangers attacked.

Galaxy Pink leapt on top of a soldier and clawed its face.

Galaxy Green knocked soldiers' blows away and struck them on their necks with claw blows. He then grabbed a soldier by the arm and flipped it to the ground, finishing it off with a double claw blow to the neck.

Galaxy Yellow dragged a Yattatoo across the ground while shouting "Ya-tatatatatatatata!" and slammed it into a tree.

Galaxy Red and Galaxy Blue rolled across the ground on opposite sides of the monster, and then they stood while holding their sabers ready.

They circled around the creature once before moving in, poised with their swords ready to strike. Rigurou ducked under their high blows and jumped over their low blows while kicking the two Rangers in the chests. He bounced off the Rangers and flew towards a tree. He bounced off of the tree and fired twin energy beams of flame that struck the armor of the two Rangers.

The two Rangers were thrown to the ground as the monster landed in front of them and laughed. He fired two more blasts that exploded around the two Rangers. When the smoke cleared, they were gone.

"What?" Rigurou said as he walked over to where the Rangers had stood. "Did I vaporize them?"

Galaxy Red suddenly sprang up from a snow pile in front of the monster, and Galaxy Blue rose from behind the creature. They moved in and jammed their swords through the creature's skin and body as steam and heat energy poured out. They removed their swords and fell back as the creature fell to the ground and bled energy that restored heat to the city.

Rigurou rose to his feet as Galaxy Red and Galaxy Blue energized their sabers.

"Mane of Flame!"

"Stream Slash!"

Their energized strikes cut through the monster, causing him to fall back as explosions ripped across his body. He used the last of his energy to drink the Balban essence, which caused him to grow giant.

The Rangers called for their Star Beats.

"GingaLion!"

"GingaCondor!"

"Gingarilla!"

"GingaWolf!"

"GingaWildcat!"

The monster fired eye beams of heat energy that exploded around the Seijuu. GingaWolf and GingaWildcat leapt towards Rigurou and clamped their jaws around his flesh, but he knocked them aside.

Gingarilla knelt down to assist the two fallen Star Beasts as the monster fired a barrage of energy blasts. GingaCondor landed in front of the blasts just in times to block them with a sound-based energy shield.

Gingarilla ran from behind the GingaCondor and charged at the monster. The blue-furred Seijuu barraged Rigurou with his fists, but the monster kicked the Star Beast in the side and blasted Gingarilla back with heat rays.

GingaLion roared from behind Rigurou, and the monster turned and blasted the lion with eye beams of fiery energy.

Gingarilla stepped back and nursed his wounds as Galaxy Blue yelled up at him. "Gingarilla!" The blue Seijuu looked down at his companion and growled. "Right…we'll do this together!" The Ranger leapt onto the shoulder of his Seijuu, and their powers combined.

Gingarilla tackled the monster as it fell to the ground. He then lifted Rigurou up by the legs and twirled him around, releasing him as he slammed to the ground.

"Alright, Gouki!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the others leapt onto their respective Seijuu.

"Time to get charged up," Galaxy Yellow said as his powers combined with GingaWolf. GingaWolf charged at the monster and clawed him across the chest.

Galaxy Pink stood on her Seijuu as it launched a salvo of fur needles that exploded against Rigurou.

"Go, GingaCondor!" Galaxy Green shouted as the Seijuu produced a cyclone that lifted Rigurou into the air.

GingaLion tilted his head towards Rigurou as fire poured from his veins. "Ha!" Galaxy Red shouted as the lion opened his mouth, and a torrent of flame poured out that consumed Rigurou and destroyed him.

* * *

The five rangers surrounded the large tree in the Silver Star's back yard. Gouki had changed into a light-colored t-shirt and faded jeans.

"Stupid tree," Hikaru said. "I don't see what's so special about—wha!" as he slammed his fist to the tree, he was sucked inside.

The others each took a deep breath before following him in. They emerged in a room made of wood that had the symbols of their Seijuu engraved on the wall. A trunk extended down the back of the room, and its roots spread across the walls. A face emerged in the trunk and smiled at the teens.

"Greetings, Rangers. I am Moku," the tree said.

"What is it today with talking heads?" Hikaru asked.

"You're…you're from the forest," Gouki said.

"Yes," Moku said. "I am born of the magick of the Ginga Forest and connected through all trees through the roots of the Earth. They are my eyes and ears. I will also be able to transport you anywhere you need be through those roots."

Ryouma smiled. They just got the edge they'd need to stop the Balban. And they'd need all the help they could get.

**To be continued…**


	4. When Lightning Strikes

**When Lightning Strikes**

The five teens stood in front of Moku as the wise tree briefed them on the plans of the Balban. "Capt. Zaihabu will stop at nothing to revive his ship, the Daitanix," Moku said. "To do so, he'll require a significant amount of energy."

"Is that what those monsters were up to in the city?" Ryouma asked.

"Yes," Moku said. "The great dragon Daitanix must not be awakened."

* * *

Hikaru pushed a wheel barrel full of hay out of the Silver Star's main barn and closer to the horses. "This is ridiculous," the young ranger mumbled to himself. "I'm a warrior, not a farm hand."

Hikaru heard a horse neigh as two strangers crouched behind a bush on the other side of the fence. The teens aimed their slingshots at the horses and smiled. "Five bucks says you miss," one said to another.

"Hey!" Hikaru shouted as he extended his hand and a fired a bolt of lightning that struck the ground in front of them. They screamed as they stood. "Leave this place alone, or you'll be sorry," he shouted as he extended his hand again. "Ha!" Another bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of them as they ran off. "Idiots..."

"Hikaru…"

Hikaru turned to see Hayate glaring at him, and he knew he was in trouble. "Uh, oh." He ran off as Hayate followed.

Hikaru ran to the other side of the barn, where Ryouma and Saya worked by a fence. Hikaru ducked behind Ryouma and used him to keep Hayate back.

"What are you two doing?" Saya asked.

"He used his Aasu against a couple of kids," Hayate said.

"They weren't kids, and they were going to hurt the horses," Hikaru said from behind Ryouma. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Hikaru," Saya said as she shook her head.

"You can't use your Aasu against others like that," Hayate said. "Your power is to be used only when needed."

"But it's ok for Ryouma to use his Seijuukin to split wood?" Hikaru said.

"What?" Hayate asked.

"Oh yeah," Ryouma said as his face turned as red as his shirt. He placed his hand on the back of his head. "I forgot about that."

"Ryouma, you should know better," Hayate said.

As Ryouma tried to explain, Hikaru took advantage of the distraction and ran off. Ryouma caught his friend's departure out of the corner of his eye and called out to him. "Hikaru!"

Hikaru ran past Ryuuta. "Hikaru, what are you in such a hurry for?"

He stopped to explain, but heard Ryouma and Hayate come after him. "I'll explain on the way."

He grabbed Ryuuta by the arm, and the two friends ran off.

* * *

Sanbashu grabbed Bukarates by the collar and lifted the troll-like creature to eye level. "You little, useless keg! Give me a way to revive this big lizard or I'll feed you to the sharks!"

"Put me down, Sanbashu," Bukarates pleaded. "I-I- Heat should have worked."

"It didn't!" Sanbashu slapped Bukarates across the face, and the troll crashed hard onto the ground.

"That's enough, Sanbashu," Capt. Zaihabu said as he stepped onto the deck with Sherinda at his side.

Bukarates rose back onto his stubby legs and wiped the dust from his shirt as Sherinda walked towards him. "Bukarates, what else can you come up with?" she asked as she tapped her saber against her hand.

Bukarates moved to a small table near the rear of the cabin and began shuffling through old books and some notes that he'd written. "I believe a simpler form of energy is what we need."

"Simpler than heat?!" Sanbashu asked.

"Silence," Zaihabu commanded. "What is this energy form you speak of, Bukarates?"

"Electricity," Bukarates said.

"Ok!" Sanbashu shouted as he aimed his weapon at the door leading towards his chambers. "Doretto!" he shouted as he blasted the door open. A tall, slender centipede monster stepped out onto the deck. "Go to the city and gather electricity."

"That is what I do best, general," the monster said as a grin spread across his face.

"If you run into the Gingaman," Zaihabu commanded. "Kill them."

* * *

Hikaru walked along the busy streets of the city with Ryuuta as he ate a hotdog. "Hayate just doesn't understand," he said. "What good are these powers if we can't use them?"

Ryuuta shrugged, having little knowledge on the subject. "I'm sure the horses are grateful at least."

Hikaru stopped as he saw a strange gathering in the plaza. A crowd had gathered around several individuals strangely dressed while performing a variety of tricks.

"What are those people?" Hikaru asked.

Ryuuta's face grew bright. "They're magicians and jugglers. They're really cool."

Hikaru saw one magician trying to impress a few passersby with little success. He smiled as he turned to Ryuuta. "Watch this…"

Hikaru ran over to the man. "Let me show you how's it done." He turned to the crowd and lifted his hands into the air. "Hey! You guys want to see something really cool? I'm the amazing Hikaru, and this, is my Aasu."

He pointed his finger towards the ground, and a small yellow lightning bolt shot out, striking the pavement. The crowd opened their eyes in amazement.

Ryuuta wrinkled his brow as the people started to clap. "I don't really think he should be showing off," he said quietly.

* * *

In a downtown apartment building, a woman was vacuuming her floor when the wall was blasted in. Doretto stepped forth from the hole.

"Sorry to barge in," he said as he extended two red tentacles that wrapped around electric devices and began sucking energy from them.

The woman tried to quietly escape by crawling through the hall, but she screamed and fainted when a group of Yattatoo blocked her path.

"Something tells me this is going to be fun," the monster said.

After having used every source of electricity in the apartment complex, they moved through the streets towards their next target while passing a small grove of trees.

* * *

Moku's eyes snapped open, having seen the Balban through the eyes of the trees in Stone Canyon. "Balban!" He shouted.

The four teens and Boku turned to a view screen that rippled to life on the west wing of the chamber.

"What's it doing?" Gouki asked.

"Nothing good, Boku," the small acorn said as he hovered in the air.

"Doretto is absorbing electricity from the city and causing great damage," Moku said. "You can see now that the Balban will stop at nothing to revive their ship."

Ryouma nodded. "Where's Hikaru?"

"He's not answering my hails. I will keep trying to each him," Moku said.

* * *

The monster was leaving the city and entering a suburb when the four Galaxy Rangers arrived while running in animal-like poses.

"Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted as they came to a stop and assumed fighting stances. "You won't revive Daitanix. Not while were around."

"I'm a living power house," Doretto said as he, his soldiers, and the Rangers began to circle around each other. "What makes you think you can stop me?"

A red tendril sprang from his hand, and he used it to whip the Rangers across their chests one by one. Doretto twirled the whip around and wrapped it along Galaxy Green's throat, then tugged him off of his feet. Galaxy Green used the momentum to his advantage, flipped through the air, and double kicked the centipede creature in the face.

The four Rangers regrouped as Yattatoo circled around the monster to protect him. "Gingaman…Daitanix will be revived, and I am the key to doing so." The villains tele-skipped backward and retreated before the Rangers could stop them.

* * *

Hikaru flashed another bolt into the air as the crowd continued to applaud. The magician he had talked to earlier walked around the audience with a hat to collect donations.

Hayate walked up behind the gathered people and sighed with disappointment as he watched his friend show off his powers.

Hikaru noticed his friend and immediately felt a lump swell in his throat. He stepped aside and went to speak to Hayate. They moved over to a fountain that Ryuuta sat on the edge of. The young one was curious as to how the confrontation would progress.

"I can't believe this," Hayate said. "We were off fighting while you were here showing off for profit."

Hikaru held up his hands. "Hey, now I wasn't going to keep any of that money. The magician can have it."

"So you're letting him use you," Hayate corrected. "That's almost worse."

"Our Aasu is ours to do with as we please," Hikaru said. "It's not like I was hurting anyone, I just wanted to have a little fun."

"You can't use your Aasu for fun," Hayate said. "The power we have is to be used responsibly. Why you were here having your fun, we were out fighting, defending this city. That and…"

"And what?"

"This is part of a bigger problem. You rely too much on your Aasu."

"What?! Stop lecturing me, Hayate," Hikaru snapped.

Hayate shook his head and walked away. "Fine."

* * *

Doretto was in the Balban castle with the captain, Sherinda, Bukarates and Sanbashu. Bukarates was siphoning the energy the monster had collected into a wide array of containment spheres.

"It isn't enough," Bukarates said.

"What?" Zaihabu moved closer towards the troll while readying his claw.

"We don't have another 3,000 years," Sanbashu said.

"Wait, wait," Bukarates said as he held up his hands. "I have something that may make the process go faster."

"May make it go faster?" Sherinda asked.

"It will," Bukarates said as he looked through a variety of items on his desk. He found a gray cylinder object. "This will boost Doretto's power."

He tossed the small cylinder down the creature's throat.

* * *

Hikaru walked through the streets at night near a small amusement park as he chewed on an apple he'd bought with some money the magician had given him.

"Used…phft," Hikaru said as he took a bite of the apple. He sat on a bench and sighed. He looked up just in time to see several city lights blink out. He wrinkled his brow with confusion.

Hikaru looked around as the streets became black, and he saw Doretto sparking with energy as he drained power from the city.

"So…" Hikaru said with a cocky grin. "I rely too much on my Aasu, huh?

"Ginga Tensei!" he shouted as he transformed into his armor and ran over to where the creature stood.

"Balban!" he shouted while assuming a fighting stance. "You're about to get fried!" He held his two hands apart from each other as yellow lightning danced between his fingers and palms.

The monster smiled. "Electricity? Oh my…"

* * *

"Doretto is back!" Moku warned as the other four rangers snapped to attention in their lair.

"Where?" Saya asked.

"He's fighting Hikaru," Moku said. A quartet of vines extended from the ceiling. "These will take you to him."

The teens grabbed onto the vines and were lifted by their magick.

* * *

The four rangers were pulled closer to where Hikaru was battling the Balban, but they had to run a considerable distance through the city to catch up to him.

"Where is he?" Saya asked.

Ryouma shook his head. "We need some light…"

The five formed a circle and joined hands in the center as they shouted "Aasu, shorai!" Their Aasu lit several city blocks as well as daylight would have.

Before they could reach their friend, a group of Yattatoo blocked their way.

"Break!" Ryouma shouted as the four rangers attacked.

Gouki jump kicked a soldier, then turned behind him to elbow a soldier in the face. He tossed a rope he wore on the back of his belt that lassoed around a soldier. He dragged that soldier closer to him and slammed the villain to the ground, then elbowed him in the throat.

Hayate grabbed onto a soldier, then fell onto his back as he flipped the soldier backwards. He sat up and placed a small wooden tube in his mouth. He blew into the tube, and a volley of poison darts sprang out, striking a trio of Yattatoo in their necks.

Saya readied her slingshot and fired rocks packed with explosive powder that exploded against a soldier's chests.

Ryouma used his metallic red boomerang to parry a soldier's sword, then he sliced that villain across the chest. Ryouma turned to his left to face his next opponent and side kicked that soldier in the face. Ryouma then hurled his boomerang at a group of soldiers, and each of them was struck down.

"Moku," Ryouma called into his brace. "We need to get a hold of Hikaru."

"There's too much electrical interference from the Balban he's facing."

* * *

Galaxy Yellow rolled backward on the roof of a large building as Doretto walked towards him.

"Ha!" Galaxy Yellow shouted as he extended his hand, and a bolt of lightning shot out. Doretto absorbed the blast and laughed it off.

"It's like throwing coal onto a hot fire," the monster said as he stalked towards him.

_Damn…my Aasu won't work on him. This isn't looking good. _Galaxy Yellow crouched in a defensive pose as he slowly thumbed his Seijuukin.

He pulled out his sword and charged towards the villain, driving the blade through its chest. "Ha!"

The monster simply knocked the blade away and backfisted the Ranger to the ground.

"Nice try, little boy," Doretto shouted as he wrapped his two tentacles around Galaxy Yellow's neck. The Ranger flashed with electricity as Doretto drained energy from Galaxy Yellow's body.

* * *

The four teens regrouped, as did the Yattatoo. One of the soldiers readied a small cannon and fired a shot that exploded around the team. When the smoke cleared, the Rangers had already transformed into their armor, and they charged towards the villains.

Galaxy Red charged into the soldiers, hook punching them and clawing them as he evaded their attacks.

Galaxy Blue grabbed a soldier by the neck, leapt through the air, and slammed the soldier into a tree.

Galaxy Pink flipped a Yattatoo onto the ground, straddled it, and clawed it across the face.

Galaxy Green ran towards a group of soldiers while holding his arms out in a condor-like fighting pose. He leapt towards a soldier, grabbed it by the neck, and flipped it to the ground. Soldiers came at him from three sides, but he blocked each blow and knifehanded the villains with swift maneuvers. He grabbed one Yattatoo by the wrist, flipped it to the ground, and struck the villain in the throat with his hands shaped as claws.

Galaxy Green looked around for Hikaru, and saw a flash of yellow from a skyscraper off in the distance.

"That has to be him…GingaCondor!"

His Seijuu swept through the air with its wings spread as Galaxy Green leapt onto the beast's head.

* * *

Doretto drained energy from Galaxy Yellow until the teen's armor flashed one final time and shimmered away. The monster retracted his tentacles and stalked towards the fallen teen.

"Now to finish you off the old fashioned way," Doretto said as he leaned down and placed a choke hold on Hikaru. Hikaru struggled to pry the monster's fingers from his throat, but he could not.

Then a condor's cry was heard in the distance as they looked to see GingaCondor swooping towards them.

"Hikaru!" Galaxy Green shouted as he leapt off of his beast and flying kicked the monster off of his friend. The Green Ranger landed and kneeled next to Hikaru, scooping him up with his arms. "Hikaru! Are you okay?"

Hikaru could barely open his eyes. He struggled with his own breathing as he answered. "So-sorry. You…were right."

"The boy is as good as dead," Doretto said. "Leave him be!"

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Green shouted as he pulled his sword and ran towards the monster, holding his weapon so the blade ran parallel to his forearm. He swung his sword toward Doretto's head diagonally, but the monster blocked the blow and backfisted Galaxy Green to the ground.

Galaxy Green rolled as he tumbled and rose to his knees. He lunged towards the monster again, but Doretto grabbed him by the throat and tossed him to the ground.

Hikaru slowly opened his eyes and watched as his teammate received a beating from the monster.

"Hayate!" Hikaru shouted as Galaxy Green was blasted by an electric bolt from the monster. Explosions danced across the Green Ranger's armor as he fell to the ground.

Hikaru weakly extended his hand. "Ha!" Sparks of energy danced over his fingertips, but nothing happened.

"All out of juice, remember?" Doretto taunted.

"Hikaru," Moku said through his brace, managing to break through the interference from the monster. "The Aasu is not the source of your strength…you are the source of its strength. Rely not on it, but on the strength of your will."

_That's what Hayate tried to tell me…but I was too busy showing off…_He looked at the Green Ranger as he was struck by the monster again. Hikaru rolled his hand up into a fist as he slowly rose to his feet. "Hayate!"

Yellow energy circled around Hikaru as he stood at full strength. "Let's go! Ginga Tensei! Ha!" Energy swirled around him as he transformed into his armor.

"Galaxy Yellow! Hikaru!"

"Back for more?" Doretto asked.

Galaxy Yellow extended his hands as twin beams of lightning danced around them, then lashed out and crashed into the monster, exploding against his exoskeleton, too powerful to be absorbed.

Galaxy Yellow leapt through the air and tackled the monster, forcing both of them off of the building. The two opponents crashed to the ground as Galaxy Yellow used the monster to cushion his blow. He pushed the creature across the ground while shouting "Yatatatatatatata…" and he slammed the villain's head against a rock.

Galaxy Yellow then snapped into a fighting stance as the monster rose to his feet. Galaxy Green landed next to his teammate.

"Nice to see you back in the game," Galaxy Green said.

"Seijuukin!" The two Rangers unsheathed their swords as the monster charged at them.

They energized their blades.

"Cyclone Slash!"

"Crescent Slash!"

The two blades radiated with energy as they cut through their opponent, causing him to fall backwards as explosions ripped across his body.

"Balban essence," Doretto weakly sipped from the bottle he carried, causing him to grow giant.

"GingaCondor!"

"GingaWolf!"

The two beats stood on either side of the monster as they roared in unison.

Doretto fired beams of energy from his eyes aimed towards GingaWolf, but the yellow Seijuu leapt under the blast and bit into the monster's leg. GingaCondor then swooped past the monster while clipping him across the chest with his wings.

"Let's give them some help, Hikaru," Galaxy Green said as the two Rangers leapt on top of their Seijuu.

"Charge, GingaWolf!" Galaxy Yellow shouted as his beast's shoulders spiked out and radiated with energy. The wolf ran past the monster and struck him hard.

"GingaCondor, cyclone attack!" GingaCondor used its wings to produce an energy cyclone that lifted Doretto into the air and crushed him as his body exploded.

"Alright!" Galaxy Green shouted.

Galaxy Yellow gave Galaxy Green a thumbs up, but before he could say anything, he feinted from exhaustion and fell from his Seijuu.

"Hikaru!" Galaxy Green shouted as he leapt down and caught Galaxy Yellow. He landed on the ground safely with his friend in his arms as the Rangers regrouped.

"Hikaru!" Galaxy Blue shouted.

"Is he alright?" Galaxy Pink asked.

Galaxy Green nodded and spoke softly. "Yeah…his Aasu just exhausted him."

* * *

Night cast over the streets again as the five tens walked back towards the ranch. Hikaru was riding piggy back on Hayate since he was still too weak to walk.

"Hayate," Hikaru said. "Thanks."

Hayate smiled. "Don't mention it."

**To be continued…**


	5. Secret of the Kiba Daggers

**Secret of the Kiba Daggers**

**PART ONE: THE THEFT**

Bukarates shuffled through old boxes in his cabin while Sanbashu and Sherinda stood by watching, visibly impatient.

"Hurry up, you keg," Sanbashu said.

"I know it's here somewhere," Bukarates said as he cleared a disarrayed pile of papers from a table, revealing a long wooden box. "Aha!"

Bukarates opened the box and pulled out a slender black sword, similar to the Seijuukin, except that the blade was tipped with the face of a skull.

"What is it?" Sherinda asked.

"Our key to reviving the Daitanix," Bukarates said as he held the sword and gazed upon its blade in awe.

"You said that already, keg!" Sanbashu shouted. "Now how is a rusty old sword going to revive the ship?"

"This sword is modeled after the Seijuukin. It is linked to the Daitanix, much as the blades of Gingaman are linked to their Seijuu."

Bukarates avoided any further questioning and left his cabin. He entered the main deck and kneeled before Capt. Zaihabu, presenting him with the sword.

"Your saber, Capt. Zaihabu," Bukarates said as he held his head down low.

A crooked grin spread across Zaihabu's face as he reached out and grabbed the saber. As he lifted it from Bukarates hand, the blade crumbled and clanked onto the ground.

"What?!" Zaihabu exclaimed as Bukarates took a step back in fear.

Sanbashu laughed. "Nice try…but I can think of five swords to replace your broken little toy." He aimed his gun at the door to his chamber and fired as he shouted for one of his warriors to step forth. "Kennobata!"

Kennobata stepped out from behind the door; most of his slender, insectoid-type body was covered in a dark trench coat, and two antenna-like claws extended from his back.

"Someone call for a thief?" Kennobata asked.

"A thief?" Sherinda asked with skepticism. "You mean you actually think this…creature...can steal the Seijuukin from Gingaman?"

"Of course, Sherinda," Sanbashu said as he walked up to his monster and put a hand on the villain's shoulder. "It's not like he's a novice."

Sanbashu opened the villain's trench coat and showed Sherinda five multi-colored blades. "Check them out, Sherinda. They're the Kiba Daggers."

Kennobata closed his jacket. "Open my jacket again and you'll lose a hand, sir."

Sanbashu laughed and patted the monster on the back. "Ah, Kennobata. That's why I like you."

* * *

Ryouma and the guys sparred at the ranch, dueling with their Seijuukin as Boku hovered nearby and watched.

Ryouma returned his sword to its holster as he finished his match. "Saya, you're up."

"Thanks," she said as she ran past him and joined the rest of the teens in their duel.

Ryouma sat down and patted his face with a towel as Boku flew over to him. "Looking good out there, Boku. Hyuuga would be proud of you."

Ryouma nodded. "Thanks, Boku…I'd like to think so."

"Know so, Boku. "You've really improved."

Ryouma smiled and nodded. "Thanks." _But it's still not enough. I'm not half the Ranger Hyuuga would have been…should have been._

* * *

Kennobata stepped onto the streets of Stone Canyon and flexed his fingers. "Time to get to work…" He spotted a policeman on a motorcycle across the street, several meters away. The villain's elastic arms let him extend his hands across the road, grab the cop's gun, and reel the weapon in.

Yattatoo broke into several shops that lined the streets and caused panic, stealing knives and anything sharp, and bringing them to Kennobata.

The villain smiled as he looked at his catch. "I'm developing quite the arsenal, here." He picked up a knife and tossed it into a tree.

* * *

Moku's eyes snapped open. "Balban!"

The teens rushed into the chamber.

"Where?" Ryouma asked.

"He's moved to the construction yard on the east side of town."

* * *

Kennobata pulled a submachine gun from his trench coat and fired at a few construction workers. Most managed to flee from the villain, but a few were shot down. "Nothing like a little target practice," Kennobata said.

A wall of fire suddenly blasted into existence and tossed the monster backwards. Kennobata rose to his feet and saw the Galaxy Rangers running towards him.

The Rangers snapped into defensive poses and surveyed the area, taking note of the casualties.

"Balban," Galaxy Red growled. "You bastard…"

"What's the little lion cub going to do about it?" Kennobata taunted. "Yattatoo!" The orange foot soldiers attacked.

Galaxy Red leapt through the air and flying tackled a soldier to the ground. While still crouched on the pavement, he twirled his right leg around, sweeping a soldier's feet out. Galaxy Red then rose, blocked a blow, and backfisted a soldier across the face.

Galaxy Yellow low blocked a soldier's attack, then knife handed the villain at an angle so the Yattatoo was pushed to the ground. Galaxy Yellow sidestepped underneath a suspended pile of iron pipes while on all fours, and he emerged from underneath the pile in time to knifehand another soldier to the ground.

Galaxy Blue leapt towards a soldier and snapped its neck.

Galaxy Pink leapt onto a soldier, straddling her legs across its chest while she clawed the villain across the face.

Galaxy Green soared on top of a soldier and struck the villain in the neck with two claw pinches. He then rolled off of the soldier and regrouped with the others as they ran towards Kennobata.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Red shouted as the five warriors readied their swords.

"Those must be my catch," Kennobata said as he aimed his machine gun and fired. Sparks flashed across the Rangers' armor as the bullets hit them and tossed them to the ground.

Kennobata stretched his arm like a rope and reeled in all the Seijuukin except for Galaxy Red's.

The monster grasped firmly onto Galaxy Red's weapon, but the Ranger would not let the blade be pried from his grasp. Kennobata tried to reel in the weapon, but Galaxy Red continued to resist.

"You'll never get my saber, Balban," Galaxy Red said as he tried to pull his sword free.

"So, you don't want to part with your weapon? Fine by me!" Galaxy Red was reeled in off the ground along with his Seijuukin and wrapped within the confines of the small pocket dimension inside Kennobata's jacket.

"Ryouma!" the Rangers shouted as the monster laughed tauntingly at them.

"Your little red friend's with me now," Kennobata said.

"If you hurt him you'll pay!" Galaxy Yellow shouted defiantly at the monster.

Kennobata aimed his machine gun at the remaining four Rangers and fired. They braced themselves as small explosions sparked across their armor. The next thing they knew, Kennobata was gone.

* * *

The four teens ran to Moku as the wise tree opened his eyes to greet them. Hayate spoke before Moku had a chance.

"That Balban took Ryouma," Hayate said. "He has our Seijuukin too."

"He should have let go," Hikaru said as he slammed his fist against the wall. "Why couldn't he have just let the sword go?"

"Hyuuga gave it to him," Saya said quietly, still hurt by the loss of the friend she wished could have been more. "That's much more than a sword to him. It's all he has left of his brother."

Moku broke the minute of silence that followed Saya's mention of Hyuuga. "We may be able to trace Ryouma by using his Ginga Brace. It is imperative that we find him and the Seijuukin at once. And also, there is something else."

"What is it?" Gouki asked.

"I sensed something else in Kennobata's possession: the Kiba Daggers. Created by Zordon, they've been missing for centuries," Moku said. "They possess great powers the Balban cannot be allowed to have."

"What kind of power?" Saya said.

"You will know in time," Moku said.

Gouki slammed his right fist against his left palm. "We'll just have to get the daggers back too."

Hayate nodded. "Let's go…"

* * *

Ryouma slowly awoke to find himself chained to steel girders at a construction area deep within Stone Canyon City. Below him was a furnace of some kind filled with melted, liquid steel that radiated heat across the dimly-lit room he was suspended in.

Groups of Yattatoo were throwing various metal and steel objects into the open top of the furnace as Kennobata watched. The creature looked at Ryouma and smiled once he saw the Ranger was awake.

"Glad to see you finished your nap," Kennobata said as he cackled.

Ryouma struggled against his chains. "You better let me go," he shouted.

"No," Kennobata said as he paced back and forth across the furnace and watched the Yattatoo at work. "I want you to stay put and watch my handy work."

Kennobata pulled the five Seijuukin from his jacket. They were all bound together by a chain. "That idiot Sanbashu thought he could use me to get these fancy swords to him. He would then, of course, present the swords to Zaihabu. The Captain would reward Sanbashu handsomely for delivering the means to revive Daitanix."

A sly grin spread across the creature's face. "I have a better plan. I will destroy these little blades and then go to Zaihabu myself with an alternative…"

He opened his jacket and showed Ryouma the five multi-colored Kiba Daggers. "The Kiba Daggers will revive Daitanix. Zaihabu will be grateful to me, and Sanbashu will be thrown overboard."

A bullet whizzed through the air and shot the Seijuukin from Kennobata's grasp. "What the…"

Sanbashu stepped out from the shadows with his pistol in hand.

"Overboard, huh?!" he shouted as he walked towards Kennobata while aiming his gun forward. He leaned down, keeping his weapon pointed at the thief as he picked up the Seijuukin.

"How's this for a plan…" Sanbashu said. "I take the sabers back to Zaihabu, but not before I throw you into that furnace!"

Ryouma saw that the two villains were distracted and wrapped his hands around the chains that were binding him as he summoned his Aasu power of flame. His fire burnt through the chains as he snapped free and leapt downward, kicking Sanbashu away and grabbing the sabers.

Ryouma ran out of the main building as fast as he could as Sanbashu fired in his direction. "Stop him!"

* * *

Ryouma ran through the construction area and ducked behind a tall pile of girders to catch his breath once he made it far enough away. Memories of his brother flashed before his minds' eye. Time and time again, Hyuuga had beaten Ryouma in battle.

"Use your head, Ryouma," Hyuuga had used to say.

He heard a footstep to his right and looked to see Kennobata aiming a large weapon barrel at him. He rolled out of the way just as the villain fired, but the shockwave from the explosion threw him off his feet.

Ryouma rose to his knees as he clutched onto the Seijuukin.

"You might as well hand them over," Kennobata said.

"You want 'em? You'll have to come and take them," Ryouma said.

"Fine," Kennobata said as he extended his arm like a long tendril and wrapped his hand around Ryouma's throat.

Ryouma extended his hand. "Ha!" he shouted as he launched a fire stream that blasted Kennobata backward. The creature's grip slackened as he fell to the ground, and Ryouma sprinted away.

* * *

Ryouma hid beneath a pile of crates as he saw Kennobata and a group of Yattatoo on patrol nearby. Ryouma ducked to his left to sprint away, but dropped the sabers when he bumped them against a crate.

He quickly leaned down to pick them up, but Kennobata had already spotted the ranger once hearing the noise.

"Nice try," Kennobata said as he grabbed onto Ryouma and tossed him aside like a rag doll. The creature picked up the sabers and headed back towards the furnace room.

* * *

Sanbashu turned to Kennobata the second he stepped near the furnace. "Burning the sabers will release their energy…"

"What?" Kennobata said as he cradled the Seijuukin.

"Your plan wouldn't have worked anyway," Sanbashu said as he aimed his weapon at the monster. "Toss the Seijuukin into the furnace. The energy released will revive Daitanix!"

Kennobata shook his head, doubting the plan would work, but he tossed the sabers into the molten pit one by one.

"Yes!" Sanbashu shouted as he held his hands up in victory. "Now, Daitanix, revive!"

He waited for some sort of expulsion of energy, but nothing happened. Sanbashu turned to Kennobata. "The Daggers. Throw them in too."

"No," Kennobata said as he stepped backward. "You're crazy…I won't destroy these…"

"Do it!" Sanbashu shouted as he opened the monster's jacket and grabbed the Daggers. He tossed them through the air as they arced towards the fiery pit.

Before the Daggers dropped into the pit, the five Galaxy Rangers leapt through the air as if from nowhere and grabbed the weapons.

The Rangers landed behind the villains and assumed fighting stances. Galaxy Red held his Kiba Dagger out towards the Balban. "Thanks for the gift."

"What?!" Sanbashu yelled. "How!"

Galaxy Green placed his hand on the Seijuukin strapped securely to his belt. "We switched the sabers. The ones you tossed in were fakes."

"It was a trick," Galaxy Pink said, "to get you to give up the Kiba Daggers."

"We're much obliged," Galaxy Yellow said as he aimed his hand towards the furnace. "Ha!"

Yellow lightning shot from the Ranger's hand and blasted open the side of the furnace, spilling molten metal across the ground that the Balban had to retreat from the building to avoid.

The Balban regrouped outside as smoke blew through the air around them. Sanbashu was not happy. "You idiot!" he shouted at Kennobata as he roundkicked the creature in the side. "You're on your own."

Sanbashu summoned his motorcycle and rode off as the five Galaxy Rangers ran up to face Kennobata and assumed animal-like fighting stances.

"You'll pay for this, Gingaman!" Kennobata shouted.

The Rangers struck their fighting poses.

"Galaxy Red, Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green, Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue, Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow, Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink, Saya!"

"The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Star Beast Task Force…"

"Galaxy Rangers!" they shouted together.

"Get them!" Kennobata shouted as the Yattatoo charged forward.

The Rangers transformed their Daggers into small individual weapons.

"Kiba Cutter!" Galaxy Red shouted.

"Kiba Shot!" Galaxy Green shouted.

"Kiba Claw!" Galaxy Blue called.

"Kiba Knives!" Galaxy Yellow shouted.

"Kiba Arrow!" Galaxy Pink called.

The Rangers dashed forward towards the line of enemy soldiers.

Galaxy Green leapt through the air while firing blasts of energy with his Kiba Shot. The blasts tore through a group of Yattatoo.

Galaxy Blue energized his claw and swung diagonally while spinning through the air and striking down a soldier.

Galaxy Yellow lunged forward and energized his blades, swinging them in an 'x' pattern and tearing through an enemy soldier.

Galaxy Pink leapt through the air and fired an energy arrow that pierced a soldier's chest.

Galaxy Red pounced forward and energized his Kiba Cutter, swinging the weapon horizontally through two Yattatoo.

The Rangers turned to face Kennobata as the villain fired a machine gun at the team.

The Rangers rolled out of the way as Galaxy Green fired off several shots with his weapon. The blasts struck Kennobata, distracting him while Galaxy Red leapt forward and slammed his elbow against the villain's chest.

Kennobata extended his arm like a tentacle and wrapped his hand around Galaxy Red's neck while pumping electric energy against him. Galaxy Red rolled across the ground to try to shake free, then he used his dagger to cut across the villain's arm. Kennobata released his grasp and screamed in pain as he retracted his arm.

The villain charged towards Galaxy Red as the Ranger unsheathed his Seijuukin and energized the blade with fiery power.

"Mane of Flame!" Galaxy Red shouted as he swung the energized blade down vertically across Kennobata's chest.

The Rangers regrouped and held their Daggers forward in a star formation aimed at the villain.

"Kiba Daggers, Star Formation…fire!" they shouted as an energy pulse slammed against Kennobata and exploded.

The Balban pulled out a vile of growth formula and drank as he grew to giant size.

"GingaLion!" Galaxy Red shouted as he summoned his Seijuu. He leapt on top of the beast and combined his Aasu with the fire power of the lion.

"Fire!" Galaxy Red shouted as the lion opened its jaws, and a massive torrent of flame shot out that vaporized the monster.

* * *

**PART TWO: FEARING TRANSFORMATION**

The rangers stood before Moku, each holding their newly obtained Kiba Daggers.

"So what exactly are these?" Ryouma asked.

Saya traced her fingers along her dagger's curves. "You said they have great power?"

"Yes," Moku said. "The Kiba Daggers have the power to transform your Star Beasts into zords."

Hikaru arced an eyebrow, looking at Moku with disbelief. "Zors?"

"Zords," Moku said. "Armored beasts."

"So…" Hayate said, "these are morphers in a way, only for the Star Beasts?"

"An accurate analogy," Moku said.

Small footsteps approached from the corridor leading into the main chamber. Ryuuta ran into view, his book bag from school still slung over his shoulder. The young boy had a bright smile on his face as he looked to the rangers.

"Ryouma," he said, greeting his new mentor.

"Ryuuta?" Ryouma asked. "How did you get down here?"

The young boy shrugged, a youthful grin on his face. "It wasn't hard to find…"

Ryuuta's gaze fell on Moku while he walked forward towards the tree.

"You must be Moku," Ryuuta said, his eyes wide with amazement.

"I am," Moku said. "It is nice to meet you, Ryuuta."

Ryuuta took a step back in shock at the talking tree. Boku laughed quietly with amusement as he hovered nearby and noticed Ryuuta's surprise.

"So," Ryouma said as he looked to Ryuuta. "What brings you here?"

Ryuuta turned to Ryouma and ran over to him, placing a hand on the teen's arm. "Ryouma…can you take me to see the Star Beasts? Please? I want a close look…"

Ryouma thought for a moment. After not thinking of any concern, Ryouma shrugged. "It's okay with me…just ask your dad first."

"Yes!" Ryuuta said with excitement as he sprinted towards the chamber's exit.

* * *

The rangers took Ryuuta across the lake to a large island where the Star Beasts were hiding. Ryuuta sat in a canoe with Ryouma, while Hayate and Gouki shared a separate canoe, and Saya rode with Hikaru.

Ryuuta hopped out of his canoe the second it hit shore, running forward towards the site of the five colossal Star Beasts not too far in the distance. He craned his neck up to look at the creatures, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Hey!" he shouted to the Star Beasts. He set his book bag down on the ground and opened it, grabbing one of the apples inside. He set the bag aside and reached back with his arm to throw the apple.

"Catch!" Ryuuta shouted as he threw the apple towards the giant Star Beasts. GingaLion opened his massive jaw and swallowed the fruit.

Ryouma smiled at the sight and stepped forward, looking up at the Star Beasts while holding his red-trimmed Kiba Dagger up in the air.

"GingaLion!" he shouted. "We found the Kiba Daggers…You can morph using them…the Balban won't stand a chance now…"

GingaLion rumbled a low growl while lowering and tilting his head away. GingaCondor shrieked at the top of its lungs while taking a step backward.

Hayate wrinkled his brow with concern while looking up at the Star Beasts. "What is it?"

The Star Beasts growled again, obviously not pleased with the news of the Kiba Daggers.

Gouki walked up to Ryouma. "They're afraid…afraid to transform…"

Ryouma shook his head. "Why? That doesn't make sense."

GingaLion roared again, the sound piercing through the air.

* * *

Waves splashed against Daitanix, the stone beast acting as an island for the Balban's castle.

Sanbashu was kneeling on the deck with his head lowered in front of Capt. Zaihabu. The general was cowering with fear, his body visibly tense beneath his strange armor of leather and zippers.

"Sanbashu…" Zaihabu said. "Explain to me why Daitanix still sleeps?"

"Captain…" Sanbashu started to say. "I am-"

"Incompetent," Zaihabu said as he unsheathed his sword and pointed the blade down at the general. "You are incompetent and will die for your failures."

"NO!" Sanbashu said as he stood and backed away. "I'm too close to the answers…too close to victory!"

Zaihabu laughed. "And how is that?"

"The Star Beasts," Sanbashu asked, his voice frantic and panicky. "They give the Rangers an upper hand…"

"And?" Zaihabu asked while taking a step forward, his sword pointed at the general.

"And…" Sanbashu said while taking a step back. "And they are ripe with power. We can take the Star Beasts out, use their energy to revive Daitanix, and be met with no opposition…"

Scarcely-clad Sherinda smiled from behind her captain. "And how exactly do you propose we do that?"

Sanbashu pulled his sidearm and aimed at the door to his crew deck.

"Torubadoo! Taguredoo!" Sanbashu shouted while blasting at the door.

The door swung open, and two bulky, beetle-type creatures stepped out. Torubadoo had deep crimson skin with a single horn. Taguredoo had blue skin with pincer-shaped horns sticking from his head. The two monsters were brothers.

Capt. Zaihabu shook his head with disappointment and placed his saber back in its holster. "Something tells me I'd be better off killing you…"

Sherinda eyed the creatures with curiosity while circling around them. "What do they do?"

Sanbashu looked to his minions. "A demonstration…"

Red-skinned Torubadoo turned to a group of Yattatoo and sprayed a cloud of crimson gas at the soldiers. Keg-like Bukarates took a step backwards away from the gas, tripping over his feet and stumbling backwards in the process. The Yattatoo were encased with stone and fell backward.

Zaihabu looked down at fallen Bukarates. "Will this work?"

Bukarates rolled back and forth on his back, trying to get up. "It's possible…"

"They'll get the job done," Sanbashu told his captain. "I guarantee it!"

* * *

Night fell over Stone Canyon as the rangers and Ryuuta camped out at the island. They lit a small fire near the shore and set up three tents. Hayate stood near the fire, playing a wooden-flute type instrument. His melody was carried across the wind, soothing the Star Beasts as they slowly drifted to sleep.

Ryuuta was laying on his back, leaning up on his elbows while watching the Star Beasts. "Where do they come from, Ryouma?"

Ryouma pointed up to the night-lit sky above. "We don't know where exactly…legend says they were born from the stars themselves."

Ryuuta smiled and looked back to Ryouma. "Fitting name then, huh? And you can understand them…?"

Ryouma nodded. "Not by words though. It's…complicated."

The purring lion lifted his head towards Ryuuta. The creature tilted its head with curiosity.

Ryouma smiled. "He wants to talk to you, Ryuuta."

"Me?" Ryuuta asked with surprise as he looked towards the beast.

GingaLion extended his paw, which started to glow with bright crimson energy. A streak of red light extended from the lion's paw and arced towards Ryuuta. The light landed in the boy's palm, forming a round clear crystal. The lion softly roared, and Ryuuta understood.

The young one closed his eyes, a wide smile across his face, as the lion spoke to him.

* * *

The next morning, an elderly lady walked towards a mailbox along the outskirts of Stone Canyon. She placed a small package into the red mail box and smiled, happy that her task was complete. Her happiness, however, was short lived.

The beetle creature Torubadoo leapt out from a tall row of nearby bushes and screamed at the lady. She shrieked with fear before turning and running off.

Torubadoo set his sights on the metal mailbox and pounced onto it, ripping through its metal with a small jaw full of fangs. He swallowed bits and pieces of the metal. The iron coursed through his digestive tracks, allowing him to produce the gas he'd need to complete his task.

* * *

Moku's eyes snapped open, sensing the monster's presence through the city's network of trees and plants.

"Balban!" he shouted through the rangers' communicators.

* * *

Yattatoo brought Torubadoo various scraps of metal and iron. The beetle creature sat in the middle of a city plaza while wolfing down the scrap. The Yattatoo kept the supply coming, bringing everything from bikes and mailboxes to car doors.

"Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the other Rangers ran onto the scene.

"Gingaman…" the creature growled as he rose to his feet. "Yattatoo…keep them away…"

"Yattatoo!" the soldiers shouted while readying their curved blades and charging towards the Rangers.

Ryuuta hid behind a nearby tree, watching the battle unfold.

One of the soldiers swung his blade down towards Galaxy Red's head. The Ranger ducked under the blow and turned, holding his hand in a claw position while slamming his palm across the soldier's head.

Galaxy Yellow ran towards an oncoming Yattatoo. Before the soldier could strike, Galaxy Yellow somersaulted backwards through the air while kicking the villain upside the head.

Galaxy Blue low blocked a soldier's saber, and slammed a backfist across that villain's face. The Ranger turned to parry a blow, sending the soldier toppling forward as Galaxy Blue slammed his elbow against the villain's back.

Galaxy Green flipped forward, slamming his feet against a soldier's arms and pinning the villain's weapon to the ground. He stabbed forward with double knife-hand strikes against that soldier's neck before rolling to the side to face his next opponent.

Galaxy Pink clawed a soldier against the chest, forcing the villain to the ground and thrashing the Yattatoo across the face.

The five Rangers regrouped after bashing through the Yattatoo. The team snapped into animal-like fighting stances as the monster snarled at them.

"Is that the best you can do?" Torubadoo said.

"That was just a warm up," Galaxy Red said while arming his Seijuukin.

Torubadoo coughed, but his gas holes emitted nothing. He coughed again with the same results. Frustrated, Torubadoo slammed his fist against his gut and spat out a thick cloud of crimson gas from his jaws. The gas quickly covered the plaza, enveloping the Rangers…as well as Ryuuta.

The young boy screamed at the first intake of the crimson gas. He collapsed to the ground while rasping for air. The Rangers were mostly protected through their helmets.

"Ryuuta!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the others ran to the boy's side.

Ryuuta was on his back, struggling to breath. The cloud of gas began to dissipate as the insect monster leapt to the rooftops to escape.

* * *

Ryouma and the others rushed Ryuuta into Moku's chamber and laid him down on a small bed grown from a tree stump. The young boy was squirming while grasping onto his throat.

Saya shook her head. "Why…? Why did he have to follow us?"

Gouki brought a pillow to support Ryuuta's head.

"Hang in there, Ryuuta," Ryouma said as he grabbed the boy's hand.

Hayate looked to Moku. "Moku…what's happening to him?"

Moku closed his eyes and reached his senses over Ryuuta, sensing the young boy's struggle. "I am not sure."

"There has to be something we can do," Ryouma said as he looked to Moku.

Moku opened his eyes. "There is not."

* * *

Torubadoo sat in the forest just outside the city as Yattatoo tended to his gas holes, doing their best to unclog them. "That was so embarrassing…" the crimson beetle monster mumbled to himself.

The sound of tires burning across pavement cut through the air as Sanbashu pulled up near the monster. The Balban general screeched his cycle to a halt. Sanbashu dismounted, and walked up towards the creature, his back rigid and hands rolled into fists.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sanbashu asked.

"My pores need cleaning," Torubadoo said as the soldiers continued to tend to the gas holes near his pinchers.

"What?!" Sanbashu asked.

"General…" the monster started. "We were frozen for thousands of years. I am not exactly in my prime."

"No excuses!" Sanbashu shouted as he drew his sidearm and aimed the weapon forward, blasting through the Yattatoo around Torubadoo. "Results! Give me the Seijuu!"

* * *

Ryuuta's breath was still short. The boy clutched onto the crystal of GingaLion while shivering beneath his blanket.

* * *

Torubadoo dropped onto the streets on the outskirts of the city, causing citizens to run and scream in panic. The monster opened his gas pores, spraying clouds of poison gas across the streets and a nearby plaza.

* * *

Moku's eyes snapped open. "Balban!"

Hikaru narrowed his brow. "Perfect timing, as always…"

Ryouma grabbed hold of Ryuuta's hand. "We'll be back, Ryuuta…hang in there…"

Ryuuta grasped onto the crystal as an image of GingaLion flashed before his mind's eye.

* * *

Torubadoo's hideous laughter echoed across the rooftops as he continued to spray his gas.

"Stop!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the other Rangers ran to the scene. "You're not hurting anyone else, Balban."

"Except for you," Torubadoo said as he sprayed a cloud of gas towards the Rangers.

Galaxy Red and the others quickly rolled for cover. The Rangers rose to their knees and unsheathed their sabers while snapping into animal-like fighting stances.

"Tell me…" Torubadoo taunted. "How is your little friend?"

Galaxy Red shouted a war cry while leaping forward through the air, angling his descent to bring his saber down through the creature's head.

Torubadoo belched a cloud of gas that enveloped the Ranger. Galaxy Red gagged before falling to the ground.

The Ranger rose to his knees, using his sword to steady himself as the others ran to his side.

Torubadoo was quick to spray another cloud of gas that enveloped the Rangers. They struggled to breath as the gas slowly bled through their helmets, entering their lungs.

The Rangers' armor fluctuated and powered down seconds before the teens collapsed to the pavement.

* * *

Torubadoo retreated to a rock quarry just outside the city. With the Galaxy Rangers out of the way, Yattatoo brought piles and piles of scrap metal and wood.

The monster ingested everything he could get his hands on. The Yattatoo could barely keep up as the creature's jaws tore through pipes, steel, doors, mailboxes, and silverware.

By the time Torubadoo finished his meal, thick clouds of gas were escaping from every pore in his body. The wind carried the gas through the city, and the crimson cloud covered Stone Canyon like a shroud.

* * *

The rangers laid face-first on the ground, struggling to get back onto their feet as the crimson gas spread.

A deafening roar suddenly split through the air. Ryouma lifted his head to see GingaLion and the other Seijuu appear. The other rangers noticed the Star Beasts' arrival as well.

"What are they doing?" Saya weakly asked.

The rangers slowly rose to their knees, mustering what strength they could.

"Get out of here!" Ryouma shouted to the Star Beasts.

The crimson cloud covered the Seijuu as well. The beasts roared as they tried to quell the smoke.

Ryouma managed to rise to his feet, his knees wobbling as he held a Kiba Dagger up into the air. "You have to transform! You need its power…you'll be protected!"

GingaLion roared his refusal.

Ryouma's legs collapsed and he fell back to the ground.

"Ryouma…" Gouki said as he crawled to Ryouma's side and helped the ranger up

The Star Beasts roared again, their call spreading over the city skyline. They radiated with cyan power, and sent an energy pulse rippling through the cloud of gas. Their pulse had no effect.

* * *

Boku hovered in the air, his leaf collar propelling around his throat as he looked at the Seijuu through a mystical mirror. "What's happening to them, Boku?"

Moku narrowed his eyes. "They're trying to dilute the gas…"

Boku shook his small acorn-like head. "How, Boku?"

"I do not know," Moku said. "But they won't survive if they continue…"

Ryuuta looked through the corner of his eyes to Moku. The young boy tightened his grasp on GingaLion's crystal, shaking his head in refusal. The Star Beasts couldn't die…they couldn't. Ryuuta's breathing had cleared due to his removal from the gas. He still was light headed and weak, but not so much that he couldn't pull himself off his small wooden bed.

Ryuuta was gone before Moku or Boku could notice.

* * *

The rangers slowly rose to their feet, despite the burning gas filling their lungs. The Star Beasts continued to pulse with cyan energy and send rippling wave through the gas cloud.

"Stop!" Ryouma shouted again.

"No!" Hikaru yelled, holding onto Gouki's shoulder to keep from falling.

Ryuuta slowly ran to the scene. The young boy collapsed onto all fours and craned his head up towards the Star Beasts. "GingaLion!"

GingaLion looked down at Ryuuta. The beast's green eyes flashed, as did the gem in Ryuuta's hand.

The pulsing waves of cyan energy suddenly increased in volume. Light began to bleed from the Seijuu themselves as their bodies suddenly started to turn to stone. The gas cloud was dissipated by a shower of light and energy.

* * *

The wave of light reached to the junk yard where Torubadoo was enjoying another snack. The pulse sent him toppling off his feet and rolling across the ground.

The villain grumbled while rising to his feet and noticing that the sky was clear. "What…what happened to my gas?!"

Torubadoo narrowed his eyes and rolled his hands into fists. "Gingaman…"

* * *

People throughout the city slowly rose to their feet, the light cleansing their bodies of poison and purifying their lungs.

Torubadoo stomped through the city crowds, grumbling at the sight of his handiwork wiped away. "Damn Seijuu…"

Ryouma and the rangers ran in front of Torubadoo, snapping into fighting stances and blocking the creature's path.

"What have you done?" Ryouma shouted.

Torubadoo tilted his head back and laughed. "I didn't think you'd survive my gas cloud."

"Well," Hikaru said, "you're not exactly bright."

Ryouma readied his brace. "Ginga Tensei…" he commanded his team.

"Galaxy Transform! Ha!" they shouted as energy shimmered around them and they morphed into their armor.

They snapped into their individual animal-like fighting stances and prepared for battle.

"Galaxy Red! Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green! Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue! Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow! Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink! Saya!"

"The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Star Beast Task Force…"

"Galaxy Rangers!" the team shouted together.

Torubadoo raised his hand into the air and called for his soldiers. "Yattatoo!"

The orange creatures leapt through the air with their curved blades in hand.

"Ginga break!" Galaxy Red shouted as the Rangers split up and pounced forward to attack.

Galaxy Red held his Seijuukin in his left hand and his Kiba Dagger in his right.

"Kiba Cutter!" he shouted as he transformed the Kiba Dagger into a small-handled blade.

A Yattatoo leapt towards his left. Galaxy Red blocked high with his Seijuukin and slashed his Kiba Cutter across the soldier's chest. The Ranger hopped and turned to his right while swinging both weapons down and cutting diagonally through a Yattatoo. Another soldier closed in on Galaxy Red, and the Ranger turned to parry the blow before swinging his weapons downward in an 'x' formation and slashing through the soldiers.

Galaxy Green rolled across the ground and rose to his knees while arming his Kiba Dagger's blaster mode.

"Kiba Shot!" Galaxy Green shouted while firing pulses of jade-colored energy that exploded through a group of Yattatoo.

Galaxy Blue readied his Kiba Dagger and activated its two-pronged mode. "Kiba Claw!"

The Ranger leapt forward and slashed his claw diagonally, ripping through a soldier. He hopped to his right and parried a soldier's blow before slamming his claw across that soldier's head.

A Yattatoo came at Galaxy Blue from behind. He turned and used his claw in an uppercut blow that stabbed through a soldier's chest. He lifted the Yattatoo off the ground and tossed the soldier aside like a rag doll.

Galaxy Pink stood her ground as a group of Yattatoo rushed towards her.

"Kiba Arrow!" she shouted as she changed her Kiba Dagger to bow and arrow mode.

Galaxy Pink extended the bow forward and shot off several pink energy arrows that ripped through the oncoming soldiers.

Galaxy Yellow separated his Kiba Dagger into its two components. "Kiba Knifes!"

He dove forward through a group of Yattatoo, ripping through them with his blades. He twisted while in midair and flipped towards a Yattatoo, slamming his feet against the soldier's chest before landing. A Yattatoo came at Galaxy Yellow, but the Ranger scissored his blades horizontally across the soldier's chest.

The Galaxy Rangers regrouped and surrounded the beetle monster after dispatching the Yattatoo. The team pounced forward and tackled against Torubadoo from all sides, slamming against the monster. The creature quickly gathered his strength and tossed the Rangers backward with a single swipe by his arms.

The monster charged towards the Rangers, and the team moved in to counter. Torubadoo started thrashing them across their chest armor one-by-one with surprising strength and speed. Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink…

Torubadoo clawed Galaxy Green and grabbed the Ranger by the throat before tossing him backwards.

Galaxy Green rose to his feet, and the Rangers regrouped around him, just as Torubadoo charged forward to attack again. The creature plowed through the Rangers. Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink…

Galaxy Red stood his ground as the monster slammed his shoulder's against the Ranger's chest. Galaxy Red struggled with all his might and lifted the creature off the ground. Torubadoo was spun around before being released and thrown through a nearby pile of crates.

Galaxy Red extended his hands towards Torubadoo as the creature slowly rose to his feet.

"Mane of Flame!" Galaxy Red shouted, summoning a fire stream that exploded around the beetle creature and sent him stumbling backward.

The Rangers regrouped and placed their Kiba Daggers together in a star formation, aiming forward at the monster.

"Kiba Daggers, Star Formation…fire!" the Rangers shouted as their blades emitted an energy pulse that exploded against Torubadoo.

Torubadoo managed to slowly rise to his feet, every inch of his exoskeleton cracked as smoke rose from his wounds.

"This is not over…" Torubadoo said as he leapt away.

* * *

**PART THREE: GINGAIOU **

Ryuuta screamed as he awoke from a nightmare within his bed. He took deep breaths and tried to calm himself as his bedroom door opened and his father walked in.

"Ryuuta…" Aoyama said as he kneeled down to his son's bed. "It's okay…it was just a dream…lay down." Aoyama laid a wet cloth on his son's head after setting him down. "You're still not well…you need your rest…"

"The Seijuu?" Ryuuta asked his father.

Aoyama sighed and shook his head. "No change. They're still frozen in stone."

Ryuuta wrinkled his brow as he reached for the crystal that GingaLion had given him. "They have to be okay…they have to…"

* * *

The five rangers stood within the city at the foot of their stone-encased Star Beasts. They stood in a circle and joined their hands at the center, calling on all their Aasu.

"Ha!" the rangers shouted as they emitted a volley of golden energy pulses that slashed against the Seijuu with no effect.

The rangers tried again, combining their power for a sparkling burst of energy that splashed over the Star Beasts. The rangers shook their heads with frustration while lowering their hands.

Hikaru punched his palm. "We have to try again."

Hayate shook his head. "It's not working…we need another way."

Ryouma pulled out his Kiba Dagger and held the weapon in hand while running his eyes along the edges. "Maybe the key is in our Kiba Daggers."

"Ryouma," Hikaru said, "something tells me we shouldn't play with something that actually makes the Seijuu afraid."

Explosions suddenly sparked around the rangers as they ducked for cover. The team snapped into fighting stances as the crimson beetle Torubadoo and blue beetle Taguredoo appeared.

"Two of them?" Hikaru said.

"Rangers…" Torubadoo growled. "Meet my kid brother."

The blue-shelled Taguredoo looked up towards the stone-encased Star Beasts and fired rapid-blast pulses that exploded around the Seijuu.

Ryouma and the others readied their Galaxy Braces.

"Galaxy Transform! Ha!" they shouted as energy circled around them and they morphed into their Ranger forms.

The two beetles and a group of Yattatoo rushed forward towards the Rangers.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Red shouted as the Rangers unsheathed their swords and charged into battle.

The Rangers slammed against the enemy lines. Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Yellow, and Galaxy Pink carved their way through the Yattatoo, parrying and thrusting past the soldiers while twirling their legendary weapons.

Galaxy Red clashed against Torubadoo, and the two opponents slammed against each other.

Galaxy Green swung his blade down towards the blue beetle Taguredoo.

Ryuuta was walking nearby with the GingaLion gem held in his right hand. He was hoping to help the Rangers fix the Star Beasts somehow. He moved closer to the plaza area when he heard the sound of steel against steel and the war cries of battle.

Ryuuta ran across a walkway and stared over the railing at the sight of the Rangers smashing against the Balban. The boy watched as Torubadoo knocked Galaxy Red's weapon aside and struck the Ranger across the helmet.

The red insect pushed off with his powerful legs and leapt into the air, landing on top of the stone GingaLion. Torubadoo pulled out his hammer and started slamming the weapon against the Star Beast's head.

"Stop!" Galaxy Red shouted up to the monster while arming his Kiba Cutter and leaping up into the air.

Galaxy Red landed on top of the stone Star Beast and snapped into a fighting stance.

"Back away," Galaxy Red shouted while channeling his Aasu into his Kiba Cutter. The blade started to flash with crimson energy.

Below, Ryuuta's gem started to glow with red light as well.

"What's going-" Ryuuta's gem suddenly emitted a gold glow that streaked towards the top of GingaLion.

The golden energy exploded on top of the Star Beast, sparking around and against Galaxy Red and the monster. A vision flashed before Galaxy Red's mind's eye seconds before he was blasted off of the Star Beast. The image was of a gigantic animal warrior. The Kiba Dagger had tried to channel power from the stars into the Seijuu to transform them, the Red Ranger realized.

Galaxy Red and the beetle monster slammed against the ground, cracking pavement upon impact.

The Rangers regrouped around Galaxy Red and helped him to his feet. The blue beetle monster ran to the side of his brother and helped the red bug to his feet. The two monsters walked back towards the Star Beasts.

Galaxy Red shook his head. "We have to keep them away…"

Taguredoo fired his horn blaster, scattering explosions across the stone-encased Star Beasts. Torubadoo leapt back up to the top of GingaLion and began swinging with his hammer, slamming it against the Seijuu.

"Enough is enough!" Galaxy Red shouted as he sprang back into the air.

Galaxy Red somersaulted forward through the air and slammed a double kick against Torubadoo, knocking the red-skinned creature from the Star Beast. Torubadoo crashed to the ground back first as Galaxy Red landed and regrouped with the other Rangers.

The Rangers snapped into fighting stances.

"We're finishing this," Galaxy Red said.

Taguredoo laughed. "Feel free to try…"

Yattatoo and the two beetle monsters charged forward to attack.

Galaxy Red pounced forward in a lion-like stance and tackled a Yattatoo to the ground. Galaxy Red clawed his hands and slammed them against the soldier's face before rolling to the side, passing underneath a swing from Torubadoo's hammer.

Galaxy Red rose to his feet as Torubadoo swung the weapon back towards the Ranger's head. Galaxy Red grabbed the hammer and twisted it, spinning closer to the monster and slamming a reverse side kick against the creature's chest. Torubadoo was taken aback, and Galaxy Red pressed on with a series double-palm strikes that sparked against the monster's face.

Galaxy Pink armed her Kiba Arrow and fired several arrows of pink energy that pierced through a group of Yattatoo. A Yattatoo tried to sneak up behind her, but she snapped around and slashed her weapon across the soldier's face.

Galaxy Blue lifted two Yattatoo and slammed them against each other before tossing them aside. A soldier closed in on the Ranger from behind. Galaxy Blue low blocked that villain's blow and brought the same hand up in a backfist strike/elbow combination that forced the Yattatoo to the ground.

Galaxy Yellow armed his Kiba Knifes and struck through a Yattatoo with an x-shaped strike.

Galaxy Green flipped and twisted through the air while firing blasts with his Kiba Shot.

Taguredoo walked a few feet away from the battle and looked up towards the Seijuu. The beetle fired several horn blasts that exploded against the stone Star Beasts.

Galaxy Red knocked the red beetle aside, and turned to face Taguredoo.

"Mane of Flame!" Galaxy Red shouted while launching a fire stream that exploded against the blue beetle.

Galaxy Red held his Kiba Dagger in hand while running towards the feet of GingaLion and jumping straight upwards, flipping, and landing on the stone Star Beast's head.

"Dai Tensei! Kin Seijuu!" Galaxy Red shouted, calling for a great reincarnation and raising his Kiba Dagger into the air. A pulse of Power shot down from the air and slammed against the Kiba Dagger. The Power started to channel through the dagger, through Galaxy Red, and to the Star Beasts…but the Ranger couldn't control the energy flow, and explosions sparked around him.

Galaxy Red was blasted backward and crashed on the ground below.

Ryuuta ran over to his side. "Ryouma…"

"Ryuuta…" Galaxy Red said as he slowly rose to his knees. "Get out of here…things aren't going too well."

"Ryouma," Ryuuta said, practically pleading. "You have to hang in there…you can do this…"

Galaxy Red shook his head. "The Kiba Daggers didn't work…"

"Ryouma," Ryuuta pleaded, grabbing onto the teen's shoulders and lowering his head. "You can't let them die…"

"Ryuuta…" Galaxy Red said softly. The Ranger's eyes gazed down to the gem that Ryuuta held in his hand. It symbolized a bond. A bond similar to what Galaxy Red had to his Star Beast. A bond that produced strength.

"Ryuuta," Galaxy Red said as he stood, and the others gathered around him. "You're right…guys, we have to try together. We have to surrender to our bond with the Seijuu…we can't fight the energy transfer."

The Rangers turned and looked up at the Star Beasts. Each holding their Kiba Daggers, the Rangers sprang upward into the air and landed on top of their beasts. They raised the daggers into the air.

"Dai Tensei! Kin Seijuu!" Galaxy Red shouted again.

Beams of multi-colored light stabbed down from the sky and struck their daggers. Explosions sparked around the Rangers, but they stood their ground despite the pain.

Ryuuta looked over his left shoulder to see Sanbashu walk forward with his arms across his chest, leading the two beetle monsters forward along with a group of Yattatoo. The soldiers were carrying a large device that looked like a satellite.

"Set it up here!" Sanbashu shouted to the Yattatoo.

The Balban general looked up to the Rangers as energy poured down on them and splashed across the skies. "This energy will wake Daitanix…Then I'll finally get some respect."

The device whirred to life as Ryuuta watched, wrinkling his brow with concern. He had to do something…

Ryuuta tightened his grip on the gem and closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. The boy snapped open his eyes and ran towards the device while shouting a war cry. He pulled back his arm and threw the gem forward as hard as he could.

The gem glowed with crimson energy before crashing through the device and exploding.

"NO!" Sanbashu shouted as the device went up in flames. The general turned and glared at Ryuuta while raising his gun at the boy. "You little shit!"

Before Sanbashu could shoot, a bright light lashed across the city. Everyone nearby turned and looked up to see the Star Beasts ablaze with glowing energy. When the light faded, the Star Beasts were standing, alive and well.

"NO!" Sanbashu said as he pushed the two beetle monsters forward. "Get up there!"

The two villains opened up their canisters of Balban essence and drank. The liquid triggered a chain reaction in the monsters' bodies, causing them to expand and grow to giant size. Taguredoo was quick to take aim and fired a volley of blasts that exploded around the Star Beasts.

The Seijuu stood firm and roared in defiance.

Galaxy Red readied his Kiba Dagger.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger to the air.

The Star Beasts morphed into powerful suits of armor. Galaxy Red slid down into his zord's small control room, as the other Rangers did in their Galactazords. Small twirling pedestals appeared before them, and their Kiba Daggers flashed into existence on the center of the pedestals. The Rangers placed their hands over the twirling daggers, letting them link with their zords.

The Galactazords charged forward to attack, roaring at the top of their lungs, as Galaxy Red remembered his vision of the giant-armored warrior.

"Seijuu fusion!" he commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five zords combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted, double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

Torubadoo swung his hammer while charging towards the GalaxyMegazord.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber…" Galaxy Red commanded. "Blazing slash!"

The saber radiated with white energy as the monster continued its advance. Gingaiou swung its energized saber downward diagonally, upward diagonally, downward vertically, and horizontally…the blows slashing through Torubadoo.

Torubadoo was ripped apart as he fell backward and exploded.

"NO!" Taguredoo shouted while charging forward, firing horn pulse blasts.

GalaxyMegazord slowly walked through the explosions, ready to strike down the creature.

"Gingalcon!" Galaxy Red shouted as the GalaxyMegazord armed its blaster, which was part of the Condor Galactazord. "Howling blast!"

The condor shrieked and fired a pulse blast that exploded through the beetle's chest, ripping the monster apart as he fell backwards and exploded.

* * *

Ryouma and the others demorphed and landed on the ground beneath their Seijuu, and the Star Beasts turned back to their regular forms.

"Ryouma!" Ryuuta shouted as he ran over to his mentor. Ryouma smiled and lifted Ryuuta in the air, hugging the boy.

"Good work, kid," Ryouma said as he shuffled Ryuuta's hair.

The Star Beasts roared in agreement.

**To be continued…**


	6. Hayate's Melody

**Hayate's Melody**

Hayate stood outside at the ranch, leaning against a wooden fence and playing his wooden flute. His melody carried softly across the air. It was a song of beauty, and of sorrow. Longing and desire. Emotion went into every note.

Hayate's thoughts drifted to the woman he loved while he played. She was lost to him now. Turned to stone and buried along with the rest of his home. Along with his heart.

Hayate continued to play.

* * *

Ryuuta and Boku kept their distance while listening to Hayate play.

"He's good," Ryuuta said as he looked to the small floating acorn known as Boku.

Boku smiled while his propeller collar allowed him to hover. "They played every night for the village, Boku."

"They?" Ryuuta asked. "Who's they?"

Boku immediately recognized he was about to say something he probably shouldn't have. "Uhhhh…Boku." He said quickly before hovering off.

Ryuuta shook his head as the strange acorn floated away.

Hayate suddenly stopped playing as his brace chimed.

"Balban!" Moku's voice said through the ranger's brace.

* * *

The Rangers ran across the streets of Stone Canyon to find every single sound, from a fly's buzz to a fire truck's sirens, heightened. The sounds were creating destructive vibrations, shattering windows and shaking the ground.

"What's going on?" Galaxy Blue asked as he and the others covered their ears.

"Nothing good," Galaxy Yellow said.

Galaxy Green looked to his left and noticed a few figures standing out in the distance. It was the Balban.

"Over there," he said while pointing towards the villains.

The Rangers ran over to face the Balban. A group of Yattatoo surrounded a monster with a bat-shaped head who's entire body was covered in a ragged brown cloak. A giant speaker rested on each of his shoulders, and the Yattatoo were holding various musical instruments such as horns or trumpets.

The Yattatoo blared their guitars, and the monster amplified those sounds as well.

The Rangers ran over to the creature while holding their hands to the sides of their helmets to try and muffle out the noise.

"Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Whatever you're up to, it stops now!"

The creature laughed. "Wrong, Rangers," the monster said. "It's just getting started…"

The monster looked to a Yattatoo, and that soldier aimed a horn towards the Rangers and blew as loud as he could. The sound waves crashed against the Rangers as the monster amplified the vibrations.

* * *

The sound vibrations reached the Balban ship, frozen in stone out on the ocean. The ship itself was a large, unmoving dragon. A castle rested on top of the dragon, and its occupants were feeling the pain of sound.

Short, keg-like Bukarates waddled across the deck while covering his ears. He had to shout to be heard over the sound vibrations. "What is that infernal noise!"

Sanbashu walked over to Bukarates. The general was in his standard leather and zipper armor with a pair of guns attached to the belt. Sanbashu was also covering his ears. "That noise is going to revive Daitanix!"

"What?!" Bukarates said.

Scarcely-clad Sherinda pulled out her sword and aimed it at Sanbashu. "Call him off…"

Daitanix suddenly started to rumble as the noise vibrated the beast's stone coating.

"See!" Sanbashu shouted. "I told you!"

* * *

The Yattatoo scattered the Rangers and slashed them with curved sabers. The monster, Sutoijii, continued to blast sound so the Rangers were too distracted by pain to fight.

Galaxy Red was slashed across the chest and fell to the ground. He rolled backwards while rising to his knees and looking up to see the monster stalk towards him.

Galaxy Red sprang forward and charged towards the creature while snapping a roundkick. Sutoijii grabbed the Ranger's leg and knocked his legs out. Galaxy Red collapsed to the ground, and the monster placed a foot on the fallen Ranger's chest while aiming a blade down towards his neck.

"I regret we couldn't play for you longer," the monster said as he raised his blade to strike.

A sound suddenly cut through the air. It was a gentle melody that almost seemed to sooth the noise vibrations, quieting them down. It was Hayate's melody.

"What?" the monster said as he turned to see Hayate standing in his normal form and playing the wooden flute. "Ginga Green!"

Hayate stood still, continuing to play as Galaxy Yellow, Galaxy Blue, and Galaxy Pink regrouped behind him. The monster kicked Galaxy Red aside.

* * *

The sound waves carried all the way to the Balban's Daitanix castle.

Sherinda narrowed her brow as she stared off the bow of the ship and heard the ranger's melody gently breeze through their walls. The sound stirred something inside of her that she hadn't felt since childhood. Something warm. Something she hated.

* * *

Hayate continued to play as the Rangers split up and slashed through the Yattatoo with their Seijuukin.

Galaxy Blue dashed forward through a line of soldiers, swinging his blade left and right through short and powerful arcs. Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink dashed side by side, each holding their sword so the blade pointed downward while hacking through soldiers.

Hayate continued to play, until a sword suddenly cut through the air and slammed against his flute. The flute sparked before being knocked out of his hand by the impact. The flute was cracked, broken beyond repair.

Hayate turned to see Sherinda standing with her hand out stretched. "Your music ends…"

She dashed forward and picked up her sword before spinning and slicing Hayate across the face. She completed the spin and snapped out with a front kick that slammed against Hayate's stomach and sent him sprawling backwards.

Hayate rose to his feet and prepared to deliver a wind blast, but Sherinda was faster. She extended her hand and launched a series of explosions that slammed against the ranger and knocked him backward. Hayate fell onto his back and lost consciousness.

The Rangers quickly regrouped around their fallen teammate.

Galaxy Red extended his hands towards Sherinda and the monster before they could attack.

"Mane of flame!" he shouted, summoning a fire stream that exploded around the two villains.

By the time the smoke from the explosion cleared, the Rangers were gone.

* * *

Hayate lied on a tree-stump table in Moku's lair. He was slowly stirring back to consciousness as Ryuuta placed a cold compress on the green ranger's head.

Ryouma turned to Moku. "What was that monster up to?"

"Yeah," Hikaru said. "Besides giving us a migraine."

The giant tree wrinkled his brow of wood and bark. "Sutoijii is planning to use amplified sound vibrations to break open Daitanix from hibernation."

Saya stepped forward. "Hayate's flute…how did it calm down the monster's sound?"

"Hayate's power is wind-based," Moku explained. "He can use that power, combined with his music, to sooth the air vibrations and sounds."

"But the flute…" Gouki said. "It's broken."

The rangers heard a slight stirring and turned to see Hayate rise from his bed, covering his head with his hand while groaning. "Then I'll just have to make a new one…" he said weakly.

Ryouma shook his head as he walked over to Hayate. "No…you're hurt. Just lie down."

Hayate stood despite Ryouma's protest. "I don't need to lie down, Ryouma…you heard Moku. I need to play."

Hayate turned and started to walk away, but Ryouma followed. "Then I'm coming with you."

* * *

Ryouma and Hayate climbed a mountain outside the city. Hayate's flute required a special kind of wood that was abundant in the Ginga Forest, but rare in Stone Canyon. The wood they required was on top of the small mountain that stretched out above a wide flowing stream.

"Quite a climb, huh?" Ryouma said, taking a moment to look down.

"Could be worse," Hayate said as they continued to pull themselves up.

Hayate's mind drifted back. Back two years ago, to a time in the Ginga Forest when Ryouma and Hayate had sparred among the trees. The crisp summer breeze twirling around them. Soft ground beneath their feet. Aasu filling them with life.

Ryouma had knocked Hayate to the ground that day with a swift sweep kick.

"Quite a kick, huh?" Ryouma had said.

Hayate had smiled while returning to his feet. "Could have been worse."

A girl with long dark hair and sparkling blue eyes had watched Ryouma and Hayate that day. Her name was Sora. She smiled at Hayate as his gaze moved to meet hers. Their eyes met and lingered for a moment before he had moved over to meet her.

Hayate had said goodbye to Ryouma and joined Sora for a walk through the woods. She had told Hayate she wanted to show him something. Something special. They moved to a small overhang that looked down into the deep valley. She had pulled out her flute and started playing, her sounds dancing across the wind.

Hayate shook his head to clear his mind and continued the climb.

* * *

Sutoijii walked along the city streets and blasted his shoulder-mounted amplifiers. The sounds of nearby cars suddenly became rippling waves of destruction. A nearby construction area, with its jack hammers and heavy equipment, sent thundering vibrations ripping through the city.

Sutoijii smiled as windows shattered and glass fell to the ground, becoming a symphony of destruction all its own.

"Balban, stop!" Gouki shouted as he ran to the scene with Hikaru and Saya at his side.

The three rangers snapped into fighting stances as the monster turned to face them. The creature tilted his head and grinned, his mouth full of vampire-like fangs.

"Rangers…" Sutoijii said in a scratchy voice. "Only three of you? That's hardly fair."

Hikaru narrowed his brow. "Hardly fair for you…"

A roaring engine approached behind the rangers. They turned to see Sanbashu charging forward on his motorcycle. The Balban general swerved his cycle to a halt and pulled out one of his guns, aiming the weapon forward at the three rangers.

"Would you finally die!" Sanbashu shouted while firing several blasts at the three Ginga teens.

"Galaxy transform!" they shouted, morphing as explosions sparked around them.

The Rangers completed the morph and ran through the explosions while charging towards Sanbashu to disarm him. Sutoijii stood behind the Rangers and started blaring sound towards the team. The Rangers dropped to their knees and covered the sides of their helmets in an attempt to mute out the sound.

* * *

Hayate and Ryouma stood in the woods on top of the small mountain. Hayate held his newly completed flute to his lips and tested a few notes, while Ryouma continued to chisel at his own small piece of wood

Their Galaxy Braces chimed as Moku's voice came through. "Balban! Sutoijii has returned to the city. His attacks must be stopped."

"We're out of time," Hayate said as he looked to Ryouma.

Ryouma nodded. "It's show time…"

Hayate walked to the edge of the cliff and started playing. He only got out a few notes before explosions sparked around him and threw him backward.

Ryouma ran to his teammate's side as Sherinda appeared. She walked forward with her sword aimed at Hayate and a group of Yattatoo behind her.

The villain narrowed her brow, glaring at Hayate. "Ginga Green…"

"You again," Hayate said as he fell back into a fighting stance.

Sherinda twisted her sword and fired an invisible energy pulse towards the two teens. Ryouma leapt to push Hayate aside, but the blast slammed around them both, throwing them off the edge of the cliff and sending them falling towards the river below.

* * *

Galaxy Blue and the other two Rangers collapsed to their knees as the sounds continued to stab into their brains.

Sutoijii stalked towards them with his blade in hand while laughing at the fallen Rangers. "Daitanix will be revived…you're in no condition to stop us…"

* * *

Daitanix's deck was shaking as the sound vibrations reached the Balban ship.

Bukarates waddled across the deck. He sensed the power of their living ship start to wake. His feelings were mixed with a sense of accomplishment, as well as fear.

* * *

Sherinda and the Yattatoo were at the foot of the cliff near a stream, searching for Hayate and Ryouma.

"Find them!" Sherinda shouted as the soldiers split up to search for the two rangers.

Ryouma and Hayate were nearby, staying close to a mountain face and trying to keep out of sight.

Ryouma looked to Hayate and spoke softly. "She'll find you the second you play…"

Hayate nodded, a slight smile spreading across his face. "Probably…but I have an idea."

* * *

Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Yellow, and Galaxy Pink were struggling to rise back to their feet as the sound blasts continued to intensify.

Sanbashu throttled to the scene on his motorbike and swerved to a halt. He leaned to the side of his bike, setting a foot down on the pavement to keep from tipping over.

"I love the sight of this!" Sanbashu shouted as he pulled his gun and fired at the Rangers.

* * *

A predatory grin spread across Sherinda's face as she heard Hayate's melody through the trees that surrounded her. "He's here…"

The melody continued to float across the breeze as Sherinda turned to her soldiers. "Follow the noise…"

Sherinda quickened her pace as she hurried towards the trees, heading towards Hayate's melody. The Yattatoo followed her. The soldiers held their blades ready to strike through their prey.

The sound suddenly split in two and came from different directions. Sherinda stopped in her tracks and wrinkled her brow with confusion. "What has he done…"

The villain looked around, searching for a sign as to what Hayate was up to. She noticed the wind lightly blowing across the leaves, and remembered that Hayate's power gave him control over air. A smile spread across her face as a realization struck her. Hayate must have been tricking her using his power to split the sound vibrations, trying to throw her off track.

Sherinda pulled a small shell from her belt and held it up to her lips. She blew into the shell, emitting a sound of her own. She perked her ears and noticed where her sound echoed.

The villain smiled, impressed by her own cleverness. She knew which was the echo and which was Hayate's real melody. Ginga Green would day before sunset.

* * *

Galaxy Blue and the other two Rangers continued to struggle against the sound, and Sanbashu extended his gun and fired another volley of shots that exploded against the Rangers' armor.

* * *

Sherinda stepped into a clearing and noticed a pair of hands playing the flute behind a large rock. She smiled. Ginga Green's end was at hand.

"Ginga Green!" she shouted while aiming her sword forward.

But it was Ryouma who stood from behind the rock with a flute in hand. Sherinda took a step back in shock as Ryouma simply smiled.

Hayate's melody again started to flow through the air. The villain turned to see Hayate standing on a far off peak, playing his newly crafted flute.

* * *

Sanbashu stalked towards the three fallen Rangers with his guns pointed forward, ready to shoot again.

Hayate's sound suddenly rippled across the air, soothing the vibrations in the process.

"Not again!" Sanbashu shouted.

* * *

Galaxy Red was in his armor, tearing through a group of Yattatoo. Sherinda was glaring at Hayate as the ranger continued to play his flute.

Sherinda turned back towards Galaxy Red and fired a telekinetic pulse. The blast exploded against the Ranger's armor and sent him crashing backwards. Sherinda turned and started walking back through the woods to face her real opponent.

* * *

Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Yellow, and Galaxy Pink rose back to their feet and stood defiantly to face the monster as Hayate's melody carried across the air.

"Damn you!" Sanbashu shouted while aiming his weapon forward.

Hikaru slammed his hand against the ground. "Lightning strike!"

A yellow bolt of lightning streaked from the ground and exploded against the two villains.

* * *

Hayate was standing and playing as Sherinda walked up behind him. Hayate turned to face her, slowly lowering his flute.

Sherinda armed her sword. "This chase is over, Ginga Green. Come…"

Hayate readied his brace. "Galaxy transform, ha!"

He slapped his activation panel as energy swirled around him and he morphed into his Green Ranger form.

Galaxy Green leapt forward towards his opponent, somersaulting through the air before landing in front of her.

"Seijuukin!" he shouted while unsheathing his weapon and snapping into a bird-type fighting stance.

Sherinda fell back into a fighting stance, and the opponents started circling around each other. Galaxy Red arrived at the scene but stayed back. The battle was clearly between Galaxy Green and Sherinda.

Galaxy Green and Sherinda charged towards each other with their blades held outward. They both swung through horizontal arcs while passing each other by. Galaxy Green's sword sliced across the villain's arm.

Sherinda dropped her sword and turned to glare at Galaxy Green while he snapped back into a fighting stance. She extended her hand and fired an energy pulse that exploded against Galaxy Green's chest.

Galaxy Green hopped through the explosion, but Sherinda was gone by the time he passed through the smoke.

* * *

Sanbashu opened fire at Galaxy Blue. The Blue Ranger charged forward with his Kiba Claw in hand. Galaxy Blue used the claw to deflect each blast and moved in close, hopping forward and slashing the general across the chest.

Galaxy Yellow somersaulted forward through the air towards the monster, swinging both his Kiba Daggers down and slicing the creature across the chest.

Galaxy Pink leapt forward with her Kiba Arrow and fired lances of pink energy that exploded against both the villains' chests.

The two villains were knocked backward and went tumbling against the ground as the three Rangers regrouped.

"Guys!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and Galaxy Green flipped down to the others.

Sutoijii and Sanbashu rose to their feet and snarled at the Rangers.

The team combined their Kiba Daggers. "Kiba Daggers, Star Formation…fire!"

A star-shaped energy blast exploded against the two villains and sent them flying backward off their feet. Sutoijii rose to his feet and pulled a vile of Balban essence. The creature drank the liquid, and it caused his body to expand and grow giant.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted as the five Seijuu stomped forward through the streets to face the giant.

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger into the air.

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped down into their cockpits.

"Seijuu fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted, double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

GalaxyMegazord charged forward towards the monster, but Sutoijii activated his speakers and sent a pulse of sound vibrations crashing against the Megazord.

"Gingaiou," Galaxy Red commanded, "Mane of Flame!"

The Megazord's head fired a stream of fiery energy that slammed against the speakers and caused them to explode as the monster was forced backward from the impact.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber…" Galaxy Red commanded. "Blazing slash!"

The saber radiated with white energy. Gingaiou swung its energized saber downward diagonally, upward diagonally, downward vertically, and horizontally…the blows slashing through Sutoijii.

Sutoijii was ripped apart as he fell backwards and exploded.

* * *

Sherinda stood on the ship's deck while nursing her wounded arm. She narrowed her eyes while staring off into the sky. "Ginga Green…" she cursed under her breath. "Hayate…"

**To be continued...**


	7. Quaking Hearts

**Quaking Hearts**

Capt. Zaihabu aimed his curved blade forward towards General Sanbashu. The general failed again, and Zaihabu was not feeling very forgiving. "Your chances are up," Zaihabu said as he walked forward.

Sanbashu frantically shook his head while taking a step back. His mind searched for the right excuse. The right plan. Anything that would prolong his life.

"No, wait!" Sanbashu shouted.

Sherinda rolled her eyes. She was standing at her captain's side with her arms crossed over her chest. "We've waited long enough, Sanbashu."

Sanbashu was about to make an excuse when an idea hit him. One he kicked himself for not having considered before. "The Lights of Orion!"

Zaihabu tilted his head and laughed, an old and chilling sound. "Reminding me of your past failures will certainly not-"

"No!" Sanbashu said. "They're still hidden here. From when they were released 3,000 years ago!"

Sherinda looked amused and unimpressed by the general's idea. "And where do you suppose we find the lost Lights?"

Sanbashu spoke to Zaihabu, keeping his hands in between his body and the captain's sword. "They went into hiding. Below ground…they can be stirred."

Zaihabu swung his sword down, arcing the weapon towards Sanbashu's neck. The captain stopped his blade a centimeter away from the general's leather-armored neck.

"Stirred how?" Zaihabu said. "Your life depends on you speaking fast."

Sanbashu looked to his crew door and aimed his weapon towards the door.

"QuakeMaker!" Sanbashu shouted while blasting the door open. A dark brown, muscular figure walked from the door. He had two small dormant wings on his back. "He can cause the earth to shake. Shake the Lights loose!"

Zaihabu looked to QuakeMaker, and Sanbashu wished he could read the captain's facial expressions.

Zaihabu lowered his sword. "I am intrigued…intrigued as to how this plan too will fail. Go."

* * *

Ryuuta sat at his desk, anxiously tapping a pencil and trying not to pay attention to the people that filled his school classroom- a group of parents, older siblings, and miscellaneous guardians. Today was the day Ryuuta and his classmates were to give their annual speeches. It doubled as a sort of family day. Ryuuta's father wasn't going to be able to attend, but he was supposedly sending Ryouma or one of the others to tape it.

Ryuuta jumped in his chair when he heard the classroom's sliding door try to open and then rip off its hinges. It was Gouki, a digital camera in hand. The ranger had the door in both hands as well, trying frantically to place the door back as the class erupted into laughter.

Ryuuta lowered his head and placed a hand on his forward, shaking his head in embarrassment. "Oh, Gouki…"

Gouki was grumbling to himself and trying to shove the door back into place when Ryuuta's student teacher approached the room, gasping at the site of the large teen struggling to jam the door back into place. Gouki opened his eyes wide, stunned at her sudden presence.

Ryuuta's student teacher was 21, with short dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. Gouki tried to apologize, but he was too awestruck by her to speak.

"I'm- uh- well-" Gouki muttered as the teacher stepped in and turned to face him.

She arced an eyebrow. "And what is it exactly you're doing?"

"Uh, teacher," Ryuuta called as he ran over to his older friend's side. "This is my friend Gouki. He's coming instead of my father." He leaned towards his teacher and shrugged, speaking quietly. "He's a little slow, see…"

"Hey," Gouki said defensively, nearly dropping the door on top of himself.

Ryuuta smiled and held up his hands. "Just kidding, just kidding…"

Ryuuta's teacher laughed and looked at Gouki, causing the ranger to blush.

"It's okay," the teacher, Miss Julia said. She took the door and slid it alongside the frame. "This happens all the time…you just have to be gentle with it…" She swiftly kicked the door, snapping it back into place. She looked to Gouki and smiled. "There."

Gouki blushed again as Miss Julia placed her hand on Ryuuta's shoulder. "Get back to your seat, Ryuuta…"

* * *

The students gave their presentations one-by-one as Gouki zeroed in on his digital camera. Zeroed in on Miss Julia. Her every word captivated him. Her every movement a wonderful dance.

Gouki's communicator suddenly chimed, catching everyone's attention as Moku's voice came through.

"Gouki! Balban!" Moku shouted.

Gouki narrowed his brow and answered the call. "I'm on my way."

The ranger turned to the open window of the third-story room and darted forward. He jumped outside and somersaulted down towards the ground, twisting and flipping before landing in a crouched position.

Those gathered in the classroom stared down at him with awe and amazement. Ryuuta proudly smiled.

* * *

QuakeMaker stomped through a forest area within the city as people ran and screamed in panic. He smiled to himself while they ran, revealing a mouth of razor-sharp fangs.

The creature opened his jaws, spitting a volley of slender foot-long drills that slammed against the ground. The drills started to spin and bore deeper into the earth.

"Yes, dig deeper," the creature said as the drills continued to spin.

"Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the other four Rangers ran to the scene in attack postures similar to their animal namesakes.

"Gingaman…" the creature growled, tilting his head while staring at the approaching Rangers. "Come by for a visit, did we?"

A group of Yattatoo leapt down from the branches above and charged towards the Rangers, ready to strike.

Galaxy Red charged forward, hopping and slamming a sidekick against a soldier's chest. He landed and turned to his left, slamming a claw blow against a soldier's gut and a knife-hand strike against the soldier's back. The Yattatoo fell to the ground as Galaxy Red snapped into his lion-like fighting stance.

"Galaxy Red! Ryouma!"

Galaxy Green flipped forward and faced a pair of Yattatoo. He formed bird-like claws with his hands and struck them down with a simple cross combination. He snapped into a fighting stance.

"Galaxy Green! Hayate!"

Galaxy Blue grabbed two soldiers and bashed their heads together before tossing them aside like rag dolls. A duo of soldiers came charging towards him, and he smashed into them with a jab, cross punch combination. Galaxy Blue snapped into a guerilla-like fighting stance.

"Galaxy Blue! Gouki!"

Galaxy Yellow grabbed a Yattatoo in a headlock and roundkicked a second soldier across the head. He released the Yattatoo from his arm and knifehand struck the soldier away. He snapped into a wolf-type fighting stance.

"Galaxy Yellow! Hikaru!"

A Yattatoo tried to sneak up behind Galaxy Pink. She elbowed the soldier in the gut and turned back to face another Yattatoo, slashing the creature across the face. She snapped into a cat-like fighting pose.

"Galaxy Pink! Saya!"

The Rangers ran past the fallen Yattatoo and charged towards QuakeMaker. The monster opened his jaws and spat a volley of drills towards the Rangers.

"Back!" Galaxy Red shouted as the Rangers flipped backwards, the drills slamming into the ground before them. The screws started spinning, driving down into the earth.

Galaxy Yellow stepped forward and prepared to deliver a lightning blast, but Galaxy Blue stepped forward, screaming a war cry.

"He's mine!" Galaxy Blue shouted as he nearly shoved Galaxy Yellow aside, arming his Kiba Claw.

"Kiba Claw!" Galaxy Blue shouted as he landed and swung his blade down in a strong diagonal strike. He followed through with a flurry of blows that slashed against the creature. Vertical. Horizontal. Diagonal. He stepped forward and punched the creature, the Kiba Claw extended like small spears and crashing against the monster.

The monster fell backward, smoke rising from his chest. He narrowed his brow at the Rangers. "Damn you, Gingaman…this isn't over."

The creature leapt up towards the rooftops and jumped away.

Galaxy Red was about to speak, but Galaxy Blue nearly knocked him over while turning and sprinting away.

"Hey Gouki!" Galaxy Red shouted. "What's the rush?"

Galaxy Blue looked over his shoulder while sprinting away. "School, guys! I have to get back to school!"

Galaxy Yellow shook his head. "Guys…I think he's officially lost it."

* * *

Gouki ran as fast he could to Ryuuta's school. He poured on the speed, pushing himself to the limit. Trying desperately not to be late. "Gotta hurry," he said quietly to himself.

Gouki made it to the school's front courtyard, and his heart immediately sank at the sight of the kids being let out from school. "Ah, I'm too late…"

The ranger sprinted towards the school anyway, wading his way past the children. Gouki looked in every direction on his way into the building, hoping to catch Miss Julia on her way out. He noticed Ryuuta by his locker, stuffing folders into a red book bag.

"Ryuuta!" Gouki called while hurrying over to him.

"Gouki," Ryuuta said with a smile while looking up to his older friend. "Everyone at school is talking about you."

Gouki smiled and opened his eyes wide. "Everybody? What about your teacher?"

Ryuuta shook his head, smiling as he rolled his eyes. "You're crazy, Gouki."

Ryuuta started to ask Gouki about the tape the ranger recorded in class. It didn't take Ryuuta long to notice Gouki's mind was elsewhere. The ranger's eyes were fixated on a classroom down the hall. Miss Julia walked out of the door and headed towards the exit.

Gouki and Julia's eyes lingered at each other, and she smiled at the ranger. Gouki blushed.

"Gouki…" Ryuuta said as he waved his hand in front of Gouki's eyes. "Gouki!"

Ryuuta sighed and dropped his hand. "Crazy…"

* * *

Sanbashu stood on one of the side decks of the Balban ship. He walked across the wooden deck with his head held high, confident his latest scheme would succeed. Confident the Lights of Orion would be his and that the Gingaman would finally be killed.

Sherinda was leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed, staring mockingly at the general. "QuakeMaker didn't do much more than give Gingaman a work out."

Sanbashu turned to her. "Shut up, whore. He'll get the job done!"

* * *

Ryouma, Hayate, Hikaru, and Saya were gathered around a table at the ranch's front yard along with Boku as they waited for dinner. Gouki recently picked up a habit of cooking for them. And he was surprisingly good at it.

Hikaru leaned back and tapped his hand against the table. "What is taking so long?"

Gouki slowly walked outside, a plate of steaming food in his hand and a boyish grin across his face.

"Gouki…" Boku said impatiently, sitting on top of the table with a small apron tied around his neck. "Hurry, hurry, Boku!"

Gouki walked towards the table; his mind was clearly elsewhere. He barely paid attention while dumping a stack of burnt pancakes onto the table, missing each of the rangers' plates.

Hikaru wrinkled his nose at the sight of the burnt breakfast food. "Is this supposed to be edible…?"

Saya lifted a burnt pancake and tapped it against the table. It sounded like rock hitting concrete. "I think you're losing your touch, Gouki."

Gouki wasn't even aware the other rangers were talking. He pulled out a bottle of ketchup and poured the tomato paste over the pancakes, drawing gasps of disgust from the other rangers.

Hikaru covered his mouth and turned from the ruined food. "You are so not getting a tip."

"Come on, Hikaru," Ryouma said. "It's probably not as bad as it looks…at least the ones without the ketchup."

"Oh yeah?" Hikaru said. "Then try one…"

Ryuuta's father, Mr. Aoyama, walked out towards the table. He was looking down at the small digital display on his cam-recorder. "I'm pretty sure I know what his problem is…"

Hikaru tilted his head with curiosity and left his chair, moving over to Aoyama's side. He looked at the display and opened his eyes wide with surprise. "Who's the girl?"

"Ryuuta's teacher," Aoyama said. "Miss Julia…"

"Huh?" Ryouma and Saya said together as they moved over towards the camera.

Gouki breathed a love-sick sigh and started walking away, his mind in the clouds.

* * *

Gouki walked through a park area in the woods and stopped by a water fountain for a drink. The drinking fountain was near a bridge and a few meters behind a bench.

He saw a young woman sitting on the bench. The woman was crying, and Gouki recognized her as Miss Julia.

Gouki gasped in surprise as his jaw dropped. Julia heard and turned to look at Gouki while wiping a tear from her face.

Gouki blushed and took a step back, embarrassed at being caught staring. He fumbled back towards the drinking fountain and bent over for a sip of water. The fountain sprayed across his face, drenching him as he gasped and stepped back.

Miss Julia laughed at the sight. Gouki smiled sheepishly at her and wiped the water from his face.

* * *

Saya and Hikaru were brushing a horse at the ranch.

"Ryuuta's teacher…" Saya said with disbelief. "I can't believe it."

Hikaru smiled and shrugged. "I hope the big lug goes for it. He hasn't had a crush since his seventh summer."

"Well I hope he works this out soon," Saya said.

"Yeah," Hikaru agreed. "Otherwise we might starve."

* * *

Gouki and Miss Julia sat on the bench talking. He was a little more calm around her.

"So how do you know Ryuuta?" she asked.

"Friend of the family," Gouki said.

"It's more than that," Julia said. "You looked proud of him."

Gouki blushed. "He's like a little brother…it's always been like that with me and kids."

"He seems to like you," Miss Julia said. "You must be good with kids."

Gouki blushed, but a sudden whining noise split through the air before he could answer. Gouki wrinkled his brow with concern and stood, ready for danger.

Julia stood beside him. "What is that noise?"

"I don't know," Gouki said.

The two young people started to move towards a clearing in the woods, where a bridge and overpass walkway were set up.

* * *

Boku floated through the air, passing across the wise tree Moku. His propeller collar hovered him back and forth as he covered his ear holes.

"What is that noise, Boku?" the little acorn asked.

Moku knitted his brow with concern. "The quake stakes are activating…"

* * *

Stone Canyon shook from the ground up. The earthquake rocked every foundation and structure as citizens ran in panic.

* * *

Julia grabbed onto Gouki's arm to keep her balance as the ground shook violently below her.

Gouki pushed Miss Julia aside to protect her from the crumbling overpass above them. He landed on top of her, his face inches from hers as the ground continued to shake.

"So- sorry…" he stammered.

She smiled.

Gouki's brace chimed as Moku spoke. "Gouki! You must go and help the others!"

* * *

QuakeMaker stalked through a tree-filled park within the city along with a group of Yattatoo. The ground was shaking, and QuakeMaker was smiling with pleasure.

"Balban!" Ryouma shouted as he, Hayate, Saya, and Hikaru leapt to the scene. "You shouldn't have come back."

"What?" QuakeMaker said. "And miss all this fun?"

The monster stomped against the ground, stirring the quake stakes buried underground. The earth started to shake again as QuakeMaker extended his fencing-type sword towards the rangers, signaling the Yattatoo to move in.

The rangers readied their Galaxy Braces.

"Galaxy transform! Ha!" they shouted as energy shimmered around them and they morphed into their armor.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Red shouted, commanding the Rangers to unsheathe their swords and rush forward into battle.

* * *

Sanbashu was unusually quiet. The general stood at a viewport on the Balban ship, staring across the sea. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his head was hung low.

If QuakeMaker failed, Sanbashu knew he would not have another chance. Zaihabu would have his head.

Sanbashu looked down towards a small golden key he held in his hand.

* * *

The ground was still shaking as Galaxy Red parried a soldier's blow and sidekicked the villain in the face. "We have to stop him. Now!"

Galaxy Green held his sword blade down as he slashed through a trio of soldiers and jump kicked a fourth Yattatoo in the face.

The ground around the Rangers continued to violently shake.

* * *

Gouki helped Miss Julia through the city streets as the ground shook and debris fell down around them. Other citizens were running and screaming in panic.

"This way," Gouki said as they headed towards the nearest shelter.

Julia spotted a Buick crashed off the side of the road. She spotted the driver, a young man knocked unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel. She recognized him immediately.

"Johnny!" Julia shouted as she started to run towards the car.

Gouki noticed a tall electric tower that was slowly tipping over, about to snap and crush the car along with everything below. He reached out and grabbed Julia's arm to keep her from getting hurt.

"You can't…" Gouki said. "The tower will crush you."

"But the wedding's tomorrow!" she pleaded. "He must have been out picking up my dress."

Gouki's heart sank. "Wedding…" Gouki sighed and shook his head. "You stay here."

Gouki ran to the car's driver side door. He spotted Johnny inside, as well as a box with the wedding dress. Johnny was still breathing, but blood was trickling down his head. Gouki ripped the door free and slung Johnny over his shoulder with one hand and grabbed the dress box with the other.

Gouki ran clear seconds before the tower collapsed and crushed the car.

Miss Julia cried while reaching down and hugging Johnny.

Gouki wrinkled his brow and ran off before Julia could thank him.

"Galaxy transform!" he shouted as he morphed into his armor and ran to help his friends.

* * *

QuakeMaker parried Galaxy Red's blow and slashed the Ranger across the chest. Galaxy Red fell to his back as the monster continued his advance. The Ranger held his saber high, but QuakeMaker knocked the blade away and stepped down on the Ranger's wrist. QuakeMaker pointed the tip of his fencing foil to Galaxy Red's throat.

Galaxy Red grabbed onto the blade with his free hand, keeping the point from driving through his neck.

Galaxy Blue suddenly leapt forward and flying tackled the monster, knocking QuakeMaker off his feet. The Ranger slammed QuakeMaker against a tree and tossed the creature backwards.

Galaxy Blue landed in a crouched position and grabbed the creature by both ankles. The Ranger lifted QuakeMaker by the legs and started spinning the monster. Galaxy Blue slammed the creature against a tree and released his grip.

QuakeMaker tumbled out of control.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Blue shouted as he unsheathed his sword and charged towards QuakeMaker.

Galaxy Blue speared his sword through the creature's chest. QuakeMaker screamed as explosions tore across his body. Galaxy Blue used his sword to lift the creature off the ground and toss him through the air.

QuakeMaker tumbled out of control before slowly rising to his feet.

Galaxy Blue slowly moved his saber through an arc as tendrils of blue energy streamed into his blade, energizing the saber.

"Stream slash!" he shouted while swinging the energized blade through QuakeMaker.

The monster fell backward as his energy overloaded, sending waves of sparks ripping through his flesh. QuakeMaker fell backward with a final large explosion as Galaxy Blue snapped into a victory pose.

QuakeMaker used the last of his strength to pull out a small vile of liquid.

"Balban Essence…" he said as he sipped the liquid.

Balban Essence energized and expanded every cell in QuakeMaker's body, causing the creature to grow giant sized.

"Gingarilla!" Galaxy Blue shouted, summoning his Star Beast.

The giant ape leapt through the air and slammed a flying elbow blow against the giant monster. QuakeMaker fell to the ground, and Gingarilla followed with a drop elbow that exploded against the creature's chest on impact.

Gingarilla rose to his feet and looked down at Galaxy Blue while rumbling a soft growl. He was telling the Ranger to hop on so they could fight together.

Galaxy Blue leapt onto the shoulder of his Star Beast.

"Come!" Galaxy Blue shouted to the creature.

QuakeMaker charged forward, but Gingarilla slammed a backfist across the monster's head. Gingarilla stepped forward and lifted QuakeMaker off the ground, spinning the creature around before letting go. QuakeMaker went tumbling out of control.

On the ground below, the other Rangers prepared to join the fight.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted as the five Seijuu stomped forward through the streets to face the giant.

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger into the air.

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped down into their cockpits.

"Seijuu fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

QuakeMaker opened fire with a volley of stakes that exploded against the Megazord's armor. GalaxyMegazord walked forward through the sparking explosions and closed in on the monster.

"Gingalcon!" Galaxy Red shouted as the GalaxyMegazord armed its blaster, which was part of the Condor Galactazord. "Howling blast!"

The condor shrieked and fired a pulse blast that exploded through the creature's chest, ripping the monster apart as he fell backward and exploded.

* * *

Ryouma, Hayate, Hikaru, and Saya crowded at a window, looking outside at the ranch as Gouki sat on the ground against a post. His head was slumped down low.

"Is he going to sit out there all day?" Hayate asked.

"I know," Saya said. "I'm getting worried."

"Me too," Hikaru said. "We haven't eaten yet."

"Hikaru," Ryouma said, playfully slapping his friend upside the head.

Ryuuta walked over to Gouki, carrying a small pink box in his hands.

"Gouki!" Ryuuta called, with the same smile on his face as always. "I have something for you."

Gouki barely lifted his eyes to look at Ryuuta. "What is it?"

"It's from Miss Julia," Ryuuta said.

Gouki stood and reached out to take the box from Ryuuta's hand. The box was just another reminder for Gouki of what he couldn't have.

He opened the box. Inside was a small "thank you" cake an note.

"Gouki," he read out loud. "Thank you for saving my life, and Johnny's, my future brother in law…" Gouki stopped reading, his eyes opened wide with excitement. "Sister! It was her sister's wedding! Yes!"

Gouki leapt up and down with excitement, accidentally dropping the cake onto the ground.

**To be continued…**


	8. Sanbashu's Final Hope

**Sanbashu's Final Hope**

Yattatoo soldiers surrounded Sanbashu on the deck of the Balban ship. Each soldier aimed their curved blade towards the general, ready to strike if the zipper-armored warrior resisted.

Sherinda walked forward, a half smile spreading across her face as she watched Sanbashu tremble with fear. "Yattatoo…seize him."

"No!" Sanbashu shouted. "Captain! I will not be taken away by these orange mumbling fools!"

Capt. Zaihabu walked onto the deck. "You deserve worse, Sanbashu. But do not worry…the worse is yet to come."

"No!" Sanbashu shouted.

The general pulled his sidearm and fired on each of the Yattatoo. The soldiers dropped one by one as explosions sparked through their chests.

Sanbashu held his sidearm at the ready while looking towards Zaihabu. "My latest plan was not a complete failure."

More Yattatoo flooded into the room and stalked towards Sanbashu to attack.

"Explain quickly," Zaihabu said as the Yattatoo charged forward and swung their blades towards the general.

Sanbashu fired at the approaching soldiers while he explained. "The quakes unearthed the cave where the Lights of Orion are being held…I have the key."

"Ha!" Sherinda said mockingly. "Only someone with Aasu can open that cave."

"I know!" Sanbashu said, shooting down the last of the soldiers. "That can be arranged…"

No one on the deck noted a creature spying on them. The warrior was dressed in the styling of a Japanese ancient monk. He wore a basket-like helmet that covered his head and face, except for his mouth. His slender body was covered in baggy blue and white robes. He was Teksa, a monster from the army of General Budo.

* * *

Budo was sitting in a meditative posture within the ship. Teksa walked up behind his master, keeping his distance and staying off the meditation mat. Teksa told his master the plans of Sanbashu.

"So," Budo said, slowly holding his sword in front of him and pulling the samurai-type blade from its holster. "This is Sanbashu's final hope…"

Teksa nodded. "He will fail, my general."

Budo nodded. "Be there if he doesn't."

* * *

Sanbashu drove his motor bike across a hilly field of dirt and grass just outside the city. His engine roared as he lifted his gun into the air and fired round after round. A coffin was chained to the back of his bike.

"Gingaman!" he shouted, firing round after round. "Gingaman!"

The Rangers suddenly burst onto the scene and snapped into fighting stances, morphed and ready for action.

"You called?" Galaxy Yellow said.

Sanbashu screeched his bike to a halt in front of the team.

"Sanbashu," Galaxy Red called while pointing forward towards the villain. "Whatever you're up to this time…it's about to stop."

Sanbashu laughed mockingly while stepping off his bike. "Watch what you say, Gingared…you wouldn't want me to accidentally hurt my cargo…"

Sanbashu whipped open the coffin and pulled up an unconscious body. It was Hyuuga.

"Brother!" Galaxy Red shouted, as the other Rangers stood speechless.

"Yes, your dear Hyuuga," Sanbashu said.

"How…" Galaxy Red started to say, shaking his head. "How?!"

"Don't you remember?" Sanbashu said. "He fell into that crevice…we went searching and found him shortly after. He's still alive for the moment…but I plan to change that."

"No!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the other Rangers pounced forward to attack.

Sanbashu summoned a group of Yattatoo, and the orange grunts rushed towards the Rangers and attacked, keeping them away from Sanbashu and Hyuuga.

Galaxy Red knocked a Yattatoo away and hopped forward towards a second soldier, clawing the Yattatoo across the face. He continued forward with a jump kick as the other Rangers split up to tackle their own opponents with animal-like fury.

Sanbashu dropped Hyuuga back into the coffin and slammed it shut. He turned to taunt the Rangers while climbing back onto his motorcycle. "Gingaman…I hope you took a good look at your friend. You'll never see him again."

The Balban general rode off while dragging the coffin.

"Stop!" Galaxy Red shouted while swiping a Yattatoo across the face and jump kicking the soldier away.

The Galaxy Rangers regrouped and charged forward to stop Sanbashu, but their communicators suddenly chimed. The team stopped in their tracks as they heard Moku's voice. "Rangers!" Moku called to them. "Do not follow…return to the ranch. I must speak with you."

* * *

The rangers walked towards Moku. Hikaru stormed forward, visibly upset that he was being called off from the battle with Sanbashu and the Yattatoo. "Why'd you call us off?" Hikaru practically yelled. "They have Hyuuga."

"I know," Moku said. "Sanbashu is surely trying to lure you into a trap."

Ryouma boldly stepped forward. "It doesn't matter…they have my brother. We have to get him back."

"And you will," Moku said, "but be cautious. Sanbashu and the Yattatoo are searching for something in the mountains. Something powerful."

Hayate nodded. "We'll be fine, Moku."

* * *

Tall yellow grass lined the mountains outside the city, along with several trees. Yattatoo were spread out across the area as a few of the soldiers stood guard around the base of a large hill. Hyuuga was tied to the trunk of a tree at the foot of the hill. He was still unconscious, his head slumping down low.

The rangers stayed hidden behind a mound as they watched the soldiers movements for a weak point. They saw Sanbashu walk over to Hyuuga and backfist him across the face.

"Come on," Hikaru said, nearly pouncing forward to attack.

Hayate grabbed Hikaru by the arm to keep the teen from running forward. "Stay down."

"Ryouma," Hikaru said, looking to his leader. "How can you just sit and watch them do this to Hyuuga?"

Ryouma shook his head. "We can't just charge in…we have to move carefully."

The rangers split up and snuck towards separate opponents, staying low and out of sight. Sanbashu was leaning against the tree in a relaxed posture, his gun held up and resting against his shoulder.

One of the nearby Yattatoo quietly yelped as its legs were knocked out from underneath and he was pulled to the ground. From behind a close dirt mound, a pair of hands aimed forward with a slingshot.

The slingshot fired and exploded around Sanbashu, sending sparks showering in every direction.

"What the?!" Sanbashu shouted while stepping forward through the explosion.

Saya, Hikaru, Gouki, and Hayate hopped forward and snapped into animal-like fighting stances as Sanbashu and the Yattatoo regrouped.

"Ha," Sanbashu said mockingly as he stepped forward. "It's about time you showed up."

The Balban general extended his firearm and triggered several shots.

The blasts exploded around the rangers as they shouted "Galaxy transform!" to transform into their armor and hop through the sparks. They stood in animal-like postures while charging forward to attack Sanbashu.

"Yattatoo!" Sanbashu shouted as he dashed forward along with the orange foot soldiers. The Rangers split up and attacked, slamming against the soldiers with a flurry of movement.

While the villains were distracted battling the four Rangers, Ryouma snuck over to where his older brother was tied to a tree. The ranger kneeled down and placed his hands on Hyuuga's shoulders, slightly shaking him.

"Brother…brother," Ryouma pleaded.

Hyuuga slowly stirred, his eyes opening as he looked up, smiling when he saw his younger brother's face. "Ryouma…" he said weakly.

"Hyuuga," Ryouma said as he leaned forward and embraced his brother. "When you fell down that crevice…I didn't think I'd ever see you again. How did you escape?"

Hyuuga shook his head. "There's no time for that now. We have to stop Sanbashu…he's after the Lights of Orion."

"Lights of Orion?" Ryouma asked.

Hyuuga nodded. "Help me up, Ryouma…"

Sanbashu turned from battling Galaxy Green and noticed Ryouma untying Hyuuga and helping the older teen to his feet. "Stay away from him!"

Galaxy Green threw himself onto the general before Sanbashu could fire at Ryouma and Hyuuga. "Ryouma! Get Hyuuga out of here!"

Ryouma nodded and draped his brother's arm over his shoulder, helping Hyuuga scurry away from the battle site. They moved through the woods as fast as they could while a group of Yattatoo stayed in pursuit. Ryouma didn't want to fight the soldiers while Hyuuga was injured. The ranger didn't want any more harm to come to his older brother.

Ryouma and Hyuuga turned towards an area thick with foliage and ducked for cover behind a bush. The two brothers sat in silence, watching as the Yattatoo passed them by.

"They're gone," Ryouma said. "For now at least…"

Hyuuga nodded, still a little winded. "Good. "Now…we have to free the Lights of Orion before Sanbashu does."

"Brother," Ryouma asked as he leaned down to Hyuuga, "what are these Lights?"

"A powerful energy source that was released on our world thousands of years ago," Hyuuga explained. "Sanbashu could use the lights to revive Daitanix…we can't let that happen."

"What do we do?" Ryouma asked.

Before Hyuuga could answer, a group of Yattatoo burst from the trees and attacked the brothers by surprise. The two teens dove for cover to avoid being sliced in half. Ryouma grabbed hold of a soldier's wrist and flipped that grunt to the ground while dropping to his back. Ryouma swung his legs while on the ground, smashing another Yattatoo away.

Hyuuga grabbed onto a soldier's shoulders and fell backward, bringing the Yattatoo down too. Hyuuga placed his foot on the soldier's chest and rolled backward, pushing off and sending the Yattatoo flying and slamming against a tree trunk.

"Ryouma," Hyuuga called to his brother, still out of breath and heavily injured. "Help me up…we have to get moving."

Ryouma moved to his brother's side, draping Hyuuga's arm over his shoulder. The brothers started moving off to escape the next wave of incoming Yattatoo. They moved as fast as they could, but Hyuuga was having trouble keeping up because of his injuries.

"Ryouma, wait," Hyuuga said to his brother.

Ryouma stopped and lowered Hyuuga to the ground near a tree. "What is it?"

"I'm just slowing you down," Hyuuga said. "You have to go on without me. You have to get the Lights and keep them away from Sanbashu."

"No way," Ryouma said. "I will not leave you behind again."

Hyuuga reached forward and placed a hand on Ryouma's shoulder. "Ryouma…you have to do this. The cave is hidden just beyond a hill not too far from here. Follow your Aasu. It will guide you."

Yattatoo burst from the bushes and charged towards the brothers. Hyuuga summoned his inner strength and threw himself forward, grabbing onto the lead Yattatoo and holding it steady while looking back to his younger brother. "Ryouma! Go! Find the Lights!"

Ryouma shook his head. "But brother…"

Hyuuga flipped a soldier over, slamming it to the ground and smashing a punch against the fallen soldier's chest. Hyuuga looked to his brother. "Go!"

Ryouma bit back a curse and reluctantly ran, leaving his brother behind to battle the Yattatoo.

* * *

The other four Rangers fought against the Yattatoo, splitting up to take the soldiers one on one. Sanbashu set his sights on Galaxy Green and slammed an upper cut punch against the Ranger's chest. The villain followed by the slamming his weapon handle against the back of Galaxy Green's neck.

Galaxy Green stumbled backward and fell against a tree before turning and facing Sanbashu again. Explosions sparked against Galaxy Green's chest as Sanbashu opened fire.

* * *

Ryouma ran to the base of a small cliff that looked over the ocean shore. A cave entrance was beneath the cliff, sealed with an ancient metal door that bore the symbol of the Earth, surrounded by a star of light.

"This has to be it…" Ryouma said as he drew on his Aasu, igniting the fire inside his body. He extended his hand and launched a flame pulse that exploded against the door and blasted it open.

Ryouma breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards the entrance, hopping inside, and landing on the dark cavern floor below. He spotted a cage up ahead that was surrounded by a pale blue light. Ryouma ran to the cage door and found the lock.

"Seijuukin!" he shouted while unsheathing his sword and hacking the cage open.

Ryouma entered the cage and moved towards the cave's center to where a large chest sat. The chest was black and gold, surrounded by dirt and rust. He used his sword to break the chest's lock as well. Inside was a small wooden box lined with red and gold. The box contained the Lights.

Ryouma picked up the box and started moving towards the cave's exit. He didn't get far before an energy pulse slammed against his back and knocked him to the ground, scorching his flesh and damaging his body. Ryouma weakly looked back to face his attacker. He opened his eyes wide with horror when he saw Hyuuga.

"Brother…what are you?"

Hyuuga kicked Ryouma in the face and walked out of the cave with the box containing the Lights of Orion in hand.

* * *

Sanbashu grabbed Galaxy Green by the neck and slammed a knee against the Ranger's chest before backfisting him away. The Yattatoo continued to fight against the other three Galaxy Rangers, Seijuukin clashing against the soldiers' own curved blades.

"Sanbashu!" a voice shouted from above. The villain turned to see Hyuuga standing with the golden box in hand. "The Lights of Orion are ours!"

Galaxy Blue swung the end of his saber to knock the last Yattatoo away as he and the others regrouped, looking up at Hyuuga. "Hyuuga? What are you doing?"

"Where's Ryouma?" Galaxy Yellow asked.

Hyuuga laughed and jumped off the cliff, flipping downward and landing on the Rangers' level. "Ryouma is left for dead."

"No!" Galaxy Pink shouted.

Galaxy Green wrinkled his brow beneath his helmet. "You're not Hyuuga."

Hyuuga laughed. "Very observant…"

Orange energy flashed around the Hyuuga doppelganger as he transformed into his true form, a bulky lion creature with red-orange fur and powerful claws. His name was Gurinjii. The creature snarled at the Rangers, revealing a mouth full of fangs. "Humans are so gullible."

Sanbashu turned to his final soldier. "Gurinjii! Kill them! Use the lights!"

Gurinjii snarled with delight as he started to open the box. Ryouma suddenly leapt forward as if from nowhere and slammed against the monster, knocking the creature backward and sending the small wooden box flying through the air. The box slammed against a stone, catching Sanbashu's eyes.

The Balban general ran forward towards the box as Gurinjii continued to wrestle with Ryouma. Sanbashu pumped his legs as fast as possible, reaching forward towards the box that would be his salvation. His last chance.

"I don't think so!" Galaxy Yellow said as he pounced forward, rolling across the ground and lifting the box into his hands while rolling into a crouched fighting stance. "Looks like your pet cat dropped something."

Nearby, Gurinjii tossed Ryouma aside, sending the ranger tumbling backwards. The creature laughed mockingly at the ranger. "I'm stronger than you can ever hope to be, _brother_."

Ryouma rose into a fighting stance and armed his brace. "We'll see about that…Galaxy transform! Ha!" Energy shimmered around Ryouma as he slapped his brace and morphed into his Ranger form.

Galaxy Red pounced forward and swung his hands down towards the creature's neck. He struck hard, but Gurinjii knocked the Ranger's arms away and slammed a backhand across Galaxy Red's helmet. Galaxy Red stumbled backward but stood his ground, stalking around the monster in a lion-like fighting stance.

Galaxy Red hopped forward with a knifehand chop aimed towards the monster's collar. Gurinjii clawed the Ranger across the chest, knocking Galaxy Red backward. Galaxy Red rolled backward onto his knees and placed his hands together, aiming towards the monster.

"Ha!" Galaxy Red shouted, firing a torrent of flame that exploded against Gurinjii and sent the monster stumbling backward. The Ranger continued the advance by unsheathing his saber. "Seijuukin!"

Galaxy Red leapt forward, swinging his blade down diagonally towards the monster's head. Gurinjii ducked away and dove into the ground, digging into the surface like a mole. Galaxy Red snapped into a fighting stance, holding his saber upright while waiting for the creature's reemergence.

Gurinjii erupted from beneath Galaxy Red and grabbed the Ranger's ankles. Gurinjii pulled, flipping the Ranger through the air and sending him stumbling across the rocky ground. Gurinjii leapt over towards Galaxy Red and slammed his feet against the Ranger's back. The monster stomped against the Ranger's back, sparking against his armor with each strike.

Galaxy Red struggled to move as a voice sounded in his mind. It was Hyuuga. _Ryouma…_the voice said faintly. _Ryouma…_

"Brother," Galaxy Red said softly, rolling his hands into fists. He wasn't sure if the voice was a hallucination or real. Either way, Galaxy Red drew strength from the voice.

Galaxy Red grabbed hold of the monster's ankle and pulled, knocking the creature off balance while the Ranger rolled away. Galaxy Red rolled back towards Gurinjii and speared the creature, Seijuukin piercing through its fleshy armor.

"Bastard…" Gurinjii said as he armed his own sword and faced off with Galaxy Red. "You will pay."

Nearby, Sanbashu fired several blasts with his gun that exploded against Galaxy Yellow and the other three Rangers. The four Rangers went stumbling backward, crashing against the ground as the Balban general stalked towards them. Sanbashu kept his pistol aimed forward.

Sanbashu fired again, blasts exploded against the Rangers' armor as the box went flying from Galaxy Yellow's hands and landed at the feet of Sanbashu. Galaxy Red regrouped with the others as Sanbashu lifted the box.

"This is the end, Rangers…" Sanbashu said, softly running his hands along the box's edge. "Daitanix will be revived by the Lights of Orion…but you will be dead before then."

Sanbashu extended his blaster as Gurinjii also approached the Rangers. The two villains opened fire, Sanbashu with pulse blasts and Gurinjii with a jagged blast of orange energy. The blasts exploded against the Rangers' armor with a violent shower of ripping sparks.

Sanbashu and Gurinjii regrouped, standing side by side and laughing at the fallen Rangers as they slowly struggled to rise to their knees.

Galaxy Yellow rolled his hands up into fists. "No one does this to us…no one…"

Galaxy Red slowly rose along with his teammates. "You two are going down, Balban. For mocking my brother's memory."

The Rangers stood boldly and armed their Kiba Daggers, holding the weapons together and pointing them towards the two villains. "Kiba Daggers, star formation…fire!"

A multi-colored, star-shaped energy pulse shot from the daggers and exploded against the two villains, knocking them backward with a fiery explosion. Gurinjii slowly climbed to his feet, smoke still rising from his orange muscles. He pulled out a small vile of liquid.

"Balban essence," Gurinjii said as he drank the liquid. The potion started a chain reaction in the monster's body. The creature's cells started to expand as Gurinjii grew giant.

Galaxy Red looked to the sky and placed his hand near his mouthpiece while calling out. "Star Beasts, arise!"

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts as the five creature stomped into battle.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger into the air. Energy struck the daggers and flowed across the five beasts. The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped down into their cockpits.

"Seijuu fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

Below, Sanbashu lifted the box and prepared to release the Lights. "Finally…"

"Stop!" Galaxy Red shouted as he leapt down from the Megazord and landed on the ground below, snapping into a lion-like fighting stance and facing off with Sanbashu while unsheathing his Seijuukin. "Drop the Lights, Balban. Drop them now."

"Bastard!" Sanbashu shouted as he held his pistol at the ready. "It's well past your time to die!"

Galaxy Red and Sanbashu charged towards each other, while above, the GalaxyMegazord charged towards Gurinjii. GalaxyMegazord slid forward while horizontally slashing its blade across the lion monster, while below, Sanbashu fired a volley of blasts that exploded against Galaxy Red's chest with a shower of sparks.

Sanbashu poured on the firepower until Galaxy Red collapsed to his knees, smoke rising from his armor after the volley of explosive blasts.

Galaxy Red slowly rose back to his feet, tightening his grasp on his saber while glaring at Sanbashu through his visor. "You Balban have done enough harm…I won't let you hurt anyone else. Like you hurt Hyuuga. Like you hurt me."

"Just die!" Sanbashu shouted, extending his gun to fire again.

Galaxy Red twisted his saber, energizing the blade with crimson, fiery light. "Mane of flame!"

Sanbashu fired a volley of blasts as Galaxy Red's energized saber slashed vertically down the villain's leather-armored chest with massive bursts of sparks. The weakened warriors stood facing each other, both wounded but trying to keep their ground. Sanbashu collapsed first, dropping the Lights. Galaxy Red collapsed soon after.

Above, GalaxyMegazord landed a solid blow against the lion's face and prepared to finish Gurinjii off.

"Gingalcon!" Galaxy Green shouted as the GalaxyMegazord armed its blaster, which was part of the Condor Galactazord. "Howling blast!"

The condor shrieked and fired a pulse blast that exploded through the creature's chest, ripping the monster apart as he fell backwards and exploded.

Sanbashu, smoking and damaged, crawled over to the Lights of Orion box and cradled it in his arms. The Balban general pulled out his golden key and inserted it into the box, slowly twisting. The lock clicked open. He slowly opened the box…but nothing was inside.

"What?!" Sanbashu said, frantically shaking his head. "The Lights…the Lights aren't…"

Galaxy Red slowly pulled himself to his feet while using his saber for balance. Sanbashu mumbled to himself while the Ranger rose, then broke into insane laughter.

"The Lights," Sanbashu said, laughing beneath his breath. "Capt. Zaihabu will have my head…no place to hide…damn you Rangers!" Sanbashu tossed the empty box to the ground and turned to face Galaxy Red. "You are behind this…I know this…I know it…"

The general's injuries suddenly sparked again, exploding across the villain's armor as he fell back to his knees. The other Rangers arrived in time to see Sanbashu fall, and they regrouped with Galaxy Red.

The Balban general tilted his head up and glared at the Red Ranger. "You…" he grumbled. "If I'm going to die…you're coming too!"

Sanbashu flipped backward through the air and landed on his motor bike. He opened the throttle to full and shouted a war cry while racing towards Galaxy Red. The Ranger snapped into a defensive stance as Sanbashu opened a gun port in front of his cycle.

Galaxy Red screamed as he charged forward. He held his Kiba Claw forward in his right hand, and his Seijuukin back in his left hand. Sanbashu opened fire, showering explosions across Galaxy Red's armor, but the Ranger continued his charge.

"Mane of Flame!" Galaxy Red shouted as he flipped forward through the air and energized his two blades with fire. He passed over Sanbashu's cycle while swinging the blades in an 'x' formation. The blades slashed through the general's body as Galaxy Red landed behind the charging cycle.

Sparks exploded across Sanbashu's body as he drove out of control, driving through the trees. His cycle went berserk and drove off a cliff. Sanbashu screamed with rage as his cycle and body overloaded, fiery explosions consuming him.

The five Rangers walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the Balban general's final moments. The Rangers weren't the only ones who saw Sanbashu's demise. Nearby, Teksa stepped back into the shadows

**To be continued…**


	9. The Samurai Strikes

**The Samurai Strikes**

Four ancient Japanese monks in blue and white robes walked through the Stone Canyon streets. They played wooden flutes while walking in single file. And their wooden-basket-type helmets covered their heads, with a series of slits to give them site. Their sounds echoed softly across the city.

* * *

Budo stood on the stone head of Daitanix while twirling his metal sword through the air. His plans were falling into motion. Sanbashu was out of his way. His warrior was already patrolling the streets. He alone would have the honor of killing the Galaxy Rangers. He alone would be the greatest general.

On the ship's deck inside, the Egyptian-styled gypsy Iresia and Viking-like general Batbos stood before Capt. Zaihabu. They were laughing at Sanbashu's demise and ready to continue the war.

"That fool Sanbashu had it coming," Iresia said.

Batbos laughed, a deep rumbling sound. "That idiot's scream when he fell from that cliff…ha!" He turned to Zaihabu. "Captain…let me take the war to the Gingaman. My army will crush them like-"

"Captain," Iresia said as she shoved Batbos aside. "This mindless brute will bring you the same results as that psychotic Sanbashu. My spells can-"

The sharp sound of metal sliding into its holster caused Iresia to pause. The Balban turned to see Budo standing at the deck's entrance with his samurai-type sword in hand. "I already have a plan in place."

"Hmph," Batbos said. "Get in line, blue-face freak."

"There is no line," Budo said while walking forward towards the captain. "Captain…I can bring you The Lights of Orion. With them, you can revive Daitanix."

Batbos grumbled beneath his breath. "Idiot…"

Scantly-clad Sherinda crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back, standing by her captain. "The Lights do not exist. Sanbashu found that out the hard way…did you forget so quickly?"

Budo stood firm. "The fool Sanbashu was closer to finding the Lights than he thought. My warrior is in the city. He will uncover the Lights. Destroy Gingaman. Then we will be unopposed."

Zaihabu was skeptical. "Very well…but if you fail…your fate will be worse than that of Sanbashu."

Budo bowed down, keeping his back stiff. "I will not fail."

* * *

The five rangers gathered in front of Moku as the small acorn-like Boku hovered behind them. The teens were discussing their recent run in with Sanbashu, the general's demise, and obsession with the mysterious Lights of Orion.

"These Lights…" Hayate said as he paced back and forth. Ryouma was staying back, and his eyes looked distant as Hayate spoke. "Sanbashu seemed to think they were strong enough to revive Daitanix."

Hikaru nodded. "With enough to spare afterward for wiping us out."

Saya shook her head. "I don't know guys. He seemed…insane. And remember, the box was empty."

Gouki nodded in agreement. "And…this is the same general who tried gathering gasoline to revive Daitanix."

"Sure he wasn't bright," Hikaru agreed. "But that doesn't mean these Lights don't exist."

Hayate turned to Ryouma. "Ryouma, what are your thoughts?" Ryouma stayed silent, his mind elsewhere. "Ryouma?"

Ryouma shook his head free from his daze. "Sorry…"

Saya laid a hand on his shoulder. "Ryouma…what is it?"

Ryouma sighed, keeping his head hung low. "It's Hyuuga. I know that lion monster wasn't him…but seeing Hyuuga's face again…I wanted so much to believe he was still alive. And what if he is? What if he survived the fall?"

"Ryouma," Moku said firmly, but with compassion. "Hyuuga is gone. He died sacrificing his life to save you and your friends. Honor his memory, Ryouma, by fighting as he would. Sanbashu is now dead, but another general will take his place. You must be ready. Do not let doubt cloud your mind."

Ryouma nodded and put on a brave face to hide his pain. "I'll be fine Moku. Whichever Balban comes next…we'll be ready." He looked to his teammates. "I'm heading on patrol. See you guys out there."

Ryouma turned and left the main chamber. Hikaru narrowed his brow and glared at Moku. "Moku…that was his brother. He deserves to have a little hope."

"Not it if clouds his mind," Moku said.

"Bah," Hikaru said, waving his hand at Moku in a dismissive manner and walking away. Saya walked after Hikaru to make sure he was alright and try to calm him. Hayate and Gouki followed afterward.

* * *

Ryouma walked across a boardwalk that looked down upon the shore. A city plaza area was behind him as he paced, alone with his thoughts. His mind was fixed on his brother.

_Damn you, Balban,_ he thought to himself. _You made me think he was still alive. Then you made me think he was a traitor._

Hyuuga had to be alive, Ryouma believed. He had heard his brother's voice while battling against Sanbashu, only he didn't tell the others. Ryouma knew it could have been a hallucination, he just didn't want to believe that. He wanted to believe his brother was alive. Ryouma wanted to believe that Hyuuga could be freed.

The sound of wooden flutes suddenly echoed in the air. Ryouma moved down a set of wide concrete stairs towards the plaza. He saw the line of ancient monks walk by in a single-file line. Their flutes produced an eerie sound that danced across the air.

Ryouma wrinkled his brow. "This place keeps getting more and more strange."

The ancients kept walking. White powder steamed from their flutes and floated through the air like steam. The fog spread in direct correlation to their playing.

* * *

Saya and Hikaru sat at the ranch picnic table. Hikaru was slumped over, his brow wrinkled. He ate in swift bites. He stopped just short of actually pouting or throwing a temper tantrum. Gouki brought another plate to the table as Hayate stood by. Boku floated towards the table and tucked a napkin into his leaf-like collar.

"Hikaru," Saya said. "Just calm down. Your face is still red."

Hikaru shook his head, tearing another bite from his roll. "I still can't believe Moku. I mean…Ryouma lost his brother. His brother. Why can't we let him hold on to a little hope? And, what was with the 'clouded-mind' guilt-trip comment?"

"Hikaru," Gouki said while setting down a bowl. "I don't think Moku really did anything wrong."

Hayate nodded. "He actually had a point."

Hikaru rolled his eyes and took another bite.

* * *

Budo sat in a meditative posture in his private quarters. He rolled a small scroll across the wooden floor in front of him. The names of his warriors were written in ancient Balban text.

Sherinda barged into the general's room, her short cape flowing across her nearly-bare body. "There's no time for praying, fool. You promised the Lights! And you haven't even sent a warrior to the main land!"

Budo lifted a piece of the scroll. "Subtlety…Teksa is in the city. His mist, and his sound, will smother the Lights out from the depths of the earth."

Sherinda wrinkled her brow. "Smother?"

Budo nodded. "Kill the ground. Poison the soil. Then the Lights will arise."

* * *

The ancients walked through the city. Trees lined concrete walkways. Parks and grassland stretched across the landscape. Mist from the ancients' flutes spread across the land. The mist covered the trees with strange cobwebs as the ancients walked by.

* * *

Gouki, Hayate, Saya, and Hikaru cleaned up the picnic table as Boku hovered by. The acorn's hands weren't sturdy enough to lift plates or bowls.

From the corner of her eyes, Saya saw someone approach. It was Ryouma.

"Guys!" he said as he ran over to them. "Something strange is going on in the city. I just can't put my finger on what…these robed ancient-types and their flutes…there's something weird about them."

Hikaru wrinkled his brow with confusion. "Ryouma, I have no idea what you just said."

Their braces' chimed. It was Moku. "Everyone, I must speak with you. At once."

"Right on cue," Hikaru said as they hurried towards Moku.

* * *

The rangers stood in shock as they entered Moku's lair. Moku was covered with cobwebs, stretching across the floor and walls. His eyes were half shut and blood shot. He looked ill.

"Moku," Ryouma said as he and the others walked closer. "What is that stuff?"

"I do not know exactly," he said weakly, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Its created from mist. Mist that is killing the earth and everything growing from the soil. The Balban are somehow behind this…this, I fear, is their latest plot."

"How?" Hayate asked. "How are they doing this to you?"

Hikaru nodded. "If they were using one of their monsters, we would have known by now…so how?"

"I do not know," Moku said, his eyes closing. "They are using a far more subtle approach than before. They are either using disguise or hiding in the shadows."

Ryouma opened his eyes wide with realization, remembering the ancients. "It's them. I know it!"

* * *

The ancients walked through a park that meshed with the city. They moved across a concrete path and played their flutes. Mist continued to spread, covering the land in cobwebs. Beneath the earth, the Lights started to stir.

* * *

Moku snapped open his eyes. "I sense them. The Balban…they are on the move."

"What are they doing?" Saya asked.

Moku struggled to reply. He was weak as the webs suffocated him. "They are trying to summon the Lights of Orion. Ryouma…you and the others…must stop them."

"But what about you," Ryouma said as he stepped forward. "We can't just leave you like this."

"Go," Moku said. "I will be fine."

* * *

The ancients were walking near the concrete memorial entrance of a park within the city. Their flutes continued to spray mist across the streets.

"Ha!" Ryouma shouted as he and the others ran to the scene. They stood in fighting stances as the ancients turned to face their opponents. "Undo the mess you made…or we'll make a mess of you."

The lead ancient tilted his head slightly up. "You children do not know the power you are dealing with."

Hikaru stepped forward, his hands rolled into fists. "Same goes for you, Balban…show your true face!"

The ancient slowly waved his flute. His garments tore and shed off his body like snake skin. The Balban warrior Teksa stood in his place. The other ancients were revealed as Yattatoo, and more of the orange grunts scurried to the battlefield and stood behind Teksa.

"Is this better, Gingaman?" Teksa said as he slowly walked forward. "You're not playing with Sanbashu and his mindless thugs anymore…I am a warrior. I…am Teksa."

Ryouma stepped forward and readied his brace. "Allow us to introduce ourselves too…"

Ryouma brought his hands down in front of his body. "Galaxy transform!" he turned the dial on his brace to the red line. "Ha!" he shouted while slapping the brace's activation panel.

Energy shimmered around the teens as they morphed into their Ranger forms. They snapped into their animal-like fighting stances.

"Galaxy Red! Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green! Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue! Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow! Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink! Saya!"

Galaxy Red slowly moved his hand through a horizontal arc while shouting. "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy…" he stabbed his hand forward. "Star Beast Task Force…"

"Galaxy Rangers!" they shouted in unison.

Teksa extended his short saber. "Kill them."

The Yattatoo charged forward at the Balban's command. They armed their curved blades and prepared to strike at the Rangers.

Galaxy Green cart-wheeled and twisted forward, bringing his heels down against a soldier's collar bone. He grabbed onto that soldier, pulled it to the ground, and slammed his heel against its chest. Galaxy Green rose to a crouched position and swept the legs out from underneath a second Yattatoo. Galaxy Green slammed his elbow against the fallen soldier's throat, crushing its wind pipe.

Galaxy Blue leapt forward and grabbed onto a soldier's neck. He arced through the air with the Yattatoo in hand and slammed the creature's head against a concrete wall. The impact smashed the soldier's head. Galaxy Blue tossed the soldier's body away.

Galaxy Pink flipped a soldier to the ground. She straddled the Yattatoo, leaned forward, and clawed across its face with a series of lightning-quick thrashes that sparked on impact.

Galaxy Yellow somersaulted backward in midair while slamming his hands against a pair of soldiers' necks. He landed, flipped both soldiers to the ground, and drop elbowed the soldiers against their chests.

Galaxy Red and Teksa charged at one another. The Ranger tightened his grip on his sword and attacked. He spun forward, swinging his blade horizontally, but Teksa ducked underneath the blow. Galaxy Red turned just in time to parry a couple of strikes from the Balban. Their swords clashed against one another in a dance of razor-edge steel.

Teksa pressed his blade against the Seijuukin and held the weapon downward for a brief moment. The villain suddenly unsheathed a small dagger, pounced forward, and slashed Galaxy Red across the chest with a horizontal blow. Teksa turned and struck again, swinging a pair of diagonal strikes that sparked against Galaxy Red's armor. The Ranger was knocked backward and went rolling across the ground.

Teksa turned and faced the fallen Ranger. He re-sheathed his blade. "It's a wonder you have lasted this long against the Balban, Gingared."

The other Rangers, after dispatching the Yattatoo, gathered around Galaxy Red and helped him to his feet. They armed their Kiba Daggers and prepared to deliver the final blow.

"Kiba Daggers, Star Formation…fire!" they shouted as an energy pulse streaked towards Teksa. Teksa energized his blade and slashed downward, dissipating the Rangers' blast before it could explode.

Teksa stepped back into a fighting stance. "Your techniques are flawed…I will show you a real attack."

The villain's image split into seven different parts and charged forward, slashing at the Rangers with a blur of motion, lightning-quick strikes sparking and exploding against their armor. They tried to defend themselves, but it looked like Teksa was everywhere.

* * *

Moku could barely keep his eyes open. He watched Boku pace back and forth through the air. The nervous acorn was watching Moku with growing concern.

"Boku…" Moku said. "You must…give the Rangers…new weapons…"

He closed his eyes. Energy flowed through his branches.

Boku opened his eyes wide. "What are you doing, Boku? You'll die!"

An energy explosion shocked through the cavern. Boku went flying against a wall and slammed into it. He slid onto the ground. Boku looked up, noticing five acorns fall to the soil.

* * *

Teksa slashed Galaxy Red across the chest. The Ranger fell onto his back. Teksa leaned down and held his blade near the Ranger's neck.

Before Teksa could strike, the ground slightly rumbled. A burst of light shot from the ground and started arcing through the air. Teksa's gaze immediately drifted to the light. They were the Lights of Orion, a bright globe of sparkling power. Teksa stepped off of the Ranger and ran after the Lights as the Yattatoo followed.

The Rangers ran after them.

Teksa and the Yattatoo stood underneath the Lights, but glow vanished with a blur of motion.

"Impossible," Teksa said.

The Rangers ran to the patio and snapped into fighting stances.

"We're not through yet, Balban," Galaxy Red said.

Teksa unsheathed his blade and aimed it at the team. "I can remedy that."

"Everyone!" Boku shouted as he suddenly floated to the scene. He carried a small pouch carrying the five acorns Moku had created.

Galaxy Red took the pouch. "What are these?"

"Weapons, Boku," Boku said. The little acorn narrowed his eyes. "Moku used the last of his strength to make them."

Galaxy Red narrowed his eyes beneath his helmet. _Moku…_

Galaxy Red and the others extended the acorns forward. The sight was too ridiculous for Teksa to even laugh.

"Guys," Galaxy Red said. "Let's go!"

They threw the acorns to the ground. Explosions of light and bright, golden columns of energy extended up from the ground from where the acorns struck. The columns of light materialized and formed five cylinder-shaped weapons of steel. Each had a handle that the Rangers grabbed onto.

"Quasar Launchers!" Galaxy Red shouted. The weapons extended into staff mode. The cylinder split onto opposite sides of the staff, acting as thick, metal pads.

The Rangers rushed forward towards the Yattatoo.

Galaxy Blue slammed the end of his weapon against a soldier's gut. He used the staff's leverage to lift the soldier and toss him backwards like a rag doll.

Galaxy Green spun his staff while spinning forward and bashed the weapon horizontally across a soldier's temple. He followed by bringing the other end down vertically, crushing the top of the soldier's head.

Galaxy Yellow swung his weapon through an upward diagonal blow. The staff knocked a soldier upside the head. He followed with a horizontal swing that bashed against the soldier's temple.

Galaxy Red pounced forward towards Teksa. The Ranger slammed the end of his weapon against the villain's chest. Teksa went flying backwards, slammed against a wall, and slid to the ground.

The monster rose to his feet and unsheathed his dagger. His image split and charged forward, each vision slashing at the Ranger. Galaxy Red placed the staff across his shoulders and started spinning, blocking most of the blows, then he slammed the end of his weapon against Teksa. The villain stumbled backward.

Galaxy Red stepped forward and started spinning the staff. Fiery energy covered the ground around them. Flames twirled around the staff with each spin.

"Mane of flame!" Galaxy Red shouted, thrusting the flaming weapon forward and smashing it against Teksa.

The five Rangers regrouped as Teksa rose to his feet. Teksa extended his hand and fired an invisible telekinetic blast that exploded against the Rangers' armor.

Galaxy Red rolled onto his stomach and extended his Kiba Claw in blaster mode. "Kiba Shot!"

A blast of red energy exploded against Teksa. The Rangers rose to their feet and switched their weapons to launcher mode.

"Quasar Launchers!" they shouted. "Fire!"

Five energy spheres shot forward, combined, and exploded against Teksa with an explosive force that shook the park area. The injured villain used the last of his strength to rise to his knees and sip from his vile of Balban essence. The liquid started a chain reaction, causing the monster to grow.

"Star Beasts, arise!" The Rangers shouted, calling for their companions.

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts as the five creatures stomped into battle.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger into the air. Energy struck the daggers and flowed across the five beasts. The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped down into their cockpits.

"Seijuu fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted, double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

The two giant opponents charged at each other while holding their weapons forward. They passed each other, swung, and struck one another with sparks exploding on impact.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber…" Galaxy Red commanded. "Blazing slash!"

The saber radiated with white energy as the monster continued its advance. Gingaiou swung its energized saber downward diagonally, upward diagonally, downward vertically, and horizontally…the blows slashing against Teksa.

"Gingalcon!" Galaxy Red shouted as the GalaxyMegazord armed its blaster, which was part of the Condor Galactazord. "Howling blast!"

The condor shrieked and fired a pulse blast that exploded through the creature's chest, ripping the monster apart as he fell backward and exploded.

* * *

The cobwebs disappeared after the monster's destruction. Moku opened his eyes back up in time to see Ryouma and the others walk in.

"Moku!" Boku shouted as he floated over to the tree.

"Everyone," Moku said, his voice still weak but regaining strength.

"Moku," Hayate said as he stepped forward. "Thank you…for the Quasar Launchers."

"Yeah," Hikaru added. "You, uh…you kinda scared us."

"A-hem," Boku cleared his throat, keeping his back towards the rangers while fishing for compliments. "Are you forgetting someone?"

Saya laughed. "And thank you, Boku."

"That's right!" he said, a smile on his face.

**To be continued...**


	10. The Black Knight

**The Black Knight**

The creature's face resembled a starfish, draped down over his body like a beard. His skin was light purple, matching the color of his slim white and violet robes. He carried a round blade in his right hand. The ring blade was covered with spikes around its edges.

The monster, Kugutsu, was in a dark cave north of Stone Canyon. Mechanical gears turned within the cave. The gears were the center of the creature's plot. They manufactured human-like machines, animated with magick. The machines had spread across the city, programmed to explode when the massive gears clanked into position.

The resulting explosion and chaos would free the Lights of Orion, Kugutsu had told his captain, although he had no proof to support his theory. In fact, the creature just liked to make things explode.

One of the Yattatoo that was outside guarding the cave's entrance went tumbling inside, skidding across the stone as its body went limp. Kugutsu took a step back as the soldier landed at his feet. The monster looked up to see Galaxy Red enter the cave.

Galaxy Red snapped into a lion-like fighting stance as he held his Seijuukin. "Balban! Call off your mechanical drones! No one's dying today…"

"No one besides you, Gingaman," the villain said. The creature armed his ring blade and dashed forward to attack.

The two opponents ran sideways while facing each other, leaving the cave, ready to strike. Young Ryuuta sat by and watched from behind a rock's shadows. He had Galaxy Red's Kiba Dagger in hand.

The other four Rangers were battling Budo in the city. Ryuuta had volunteered to help infiltrate the monster's lair and destroy the machine. Ryouma had almost turned him down, until he saw the fiery look of determination in the young one's eye.

Ryuuta had been the first to find the walking mechanical bombs. Yattatoo nearly killed him when he tried to escape and warn the rangers. His clothes were torn and tattered. Cuts and bruises covered his skin.

Ryuuta moved forward and entered the mouth of the cave,. The gears within turned, cranking towards destruction. Ryuuta tightened his grip on the dagger. He shouted at the top of his lungs to scare away his own fear as he swung the blade into the gears. Explosions sparked as the mechanism jammed.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Red spun forward and swung his saber horizontally. The star creature ducked under the blow and swung his ring weapon towards the Ranger's chest. Galaxy Red slapped the weapon away and arched his blade towards the monster's face.

The creature managed to maneuver backward and swing his ring weapon to deflect the blow. He held his ring tightly against the Ranger's sword as the two opponents pushed against each other.

Explosions in the nearby cave distracted the monster. He turned his head to look back towards his lair. "What has happened?"

He moved back, brought his blade around, and slashed the ring across Galaxy Red's chest. Explosions sparked across his armor as he fell backward.

The star monster turned and dashed towards his cave. He could tell from the sounds that someone was inside. Someone was destroying his equipment!

Galaxy Red used his saber for balance as he rose to his feet. He pounced forward, flipping through the air and twisting his body as he landed in front of the creature's path and struck an animal-like defensive stance.

"You're not getting through!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The creature energized his ring with deep-blue energy and tossed it forward. The ring exploded against Galaxy Red with a force that ripped across the mountainside. Explosions tore across his armor as his body was thrown backward.

Galaxy Red fell back towards the ground and crashed on rock and soil. He looked up in time to see the starfish monster charge forward with another gear blade in his hand.

The monster swung the blade downward. Galaxy Red used his ankles to clasp onto the monster's wrist, stopping the blade from striking. He twisted to the right to disarm the monster and snapped his legs back around in a kick that pushed the creature backward.

Galaxy Red flipped back to his feet and energized his Seijuukin. Fiery streams of red energy entered the saber's coin as a crimson glow traveled along the blade.

"Mane of Flame!" he shouted as he swung his energized blade downward.

The fiery slash exploded against the star creature. Energy ripped across the monster's body as he fell backwards and exploded.

* * *

Ryouma powered down his armor and ran into the cave. Ryuuta was still chopping away at the machinery with the Kiba Dagger. Each strike was met with a cloud of sparks.

Ryuuta stopped hacking when he heard Ryouma walk into the cave. The boy turned and smiled at the ranger as he stepped inside. "Ryouma!"

"Looks like you've been busy," Ryouma said with pride as he stepped forward. Pain suddenly shot down his back and he collapsed to the ground. He was injured before even meeting Kugutsu. The battle with the starfish creature had only made things worse.

"Ryouma!" Ryuuta ran to his older friend's side. "What did that thing do to you?"

Screeching metal sounded from deep in the cave. Ryouma and Ryuuta looked to see dozens of mechanical humans walking towards them, each primed to explode.

"Ryuuta, get out of here," Ryouma said.

"No way," Ryuuta said. "You're hurt! I can help you!"

"Ryuuta, go!" Ryouma shouted as he pushed the boy aside and charged towards the walking bombs.

"Ryouma!" Ryuuta called from the ground, tears running down his cheeks. He was afraid, but not for himself. He was afraid for his friend.

Ryouma launched at the mechanical humans, trying to keep them back and away from Ryuuta. He snapped a jump kick against a bomb's face, then moved forward with a flurry of punches and kicks.

Time seemed to slow as Ryuuta watched. Each movement of Ryouma's was etching into the boy's memory. Then the mechanics exploded, and Ryuuta's fell into darkness.

* * *

The other four rangers arrived at the mouth of the cave to see Ryuuta sprawled across the ground. The sight of the unconscious boy hurt them more than any physical blow could.

"Ryuuta!" Saya shouted as she and the others ran to his side.

Hikaru raised his head and looked around, searching for a sign from their leader. "Where's Ryouma?"

Ryuuta coughed as he sat up. Gouki clasped his hand tightly on the boy's shoulder as he tried to keep himself from crying. Gouki's emotions were as strong as his brute strength.

They heard footsteps coming from the cave. A dark figure walked from the smoke. His armor was black. He had edged horns sprouting from his helmet. A slick black cape flowed behind his back. Ryouma was draped over his shoulder.

The stranger stepped out of the cave as the rangers gathered around. The black knight lowered Ryouma onto the stone ground.

Gouki leaned down towards Ryouma. "Ryouma…hang in there."

The black knight turned and started walking away, his cape flowing across body, rippling with strength.

"Wait," Hayate said as he turned towards the stranger. "Who are you?"

The black knight looked over his right shoulder towards the rangers. He spoke with a low, stern voice. "KuroKishi. Bull Black."

Hayate wrinkled his brow, trying to remember where he had heard the name. "KuroKishi? Bull Black?"

KuroKishi bent his knees and sprang upward into the air. He arced forward and landed on a small mountain's cliff in the distance. He stood boldly on the cliff as his cape flapped in the wind.

* * *

The rangers and Ryuuta returned to the ranch and gathered in Moku's chamber. Ryouma lied back on a wooden bed as Saya draped a damp cloth across his forehead. Ryuuta stood by Ryouma's side, holding onto the teen's arm.

"Ryouma…" Ryuuta said. "Wake up, Ryouma…"

Boku hovered above the rangers, relieved that Ryouma hadn't been killed in the blast. "He's lucky to be alive, Boku."

"You are right," Moku said. "The explosion should have been beyond fatal for someone not protected in armor. Thankfully, Ryouma was saved."

Hayate turned towards the wise tree. "Moku…who is this KuroKishi? His name sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

"KuroKishi has been called many things," Moku said. "Bull Black. Magna Defender. Black Knight. Legends say he is an ancient warrior from thousands of years ago. He travels where needed."

Ryuuta's face lit up. "He came to save Ryouma. Didn't he?"

"We don't know that," Hikaru said. The ranger was skeptical. "He could be here for any reason. Or he could be some kind of Balban trick."

Gouki shook his head. "But he saved Ryouma."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Gouki, you're too trusting."

Gouki narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet. "What did you-"

"Guys," Hayate said. "Not now."

Ryouma started to stir, his breathing quickening. "Brother…brother…"

Saya leaned down, hearing Ryouma's faint words. _His brother…what does Hyuuga have to do with this?_

* * *

Bukarates waddled across the deck of Capt. Zaihabu's ship. The short troll moved towards Budo, who was kneeling down while looking at his scroll.

"Your creature failed," Bukarates said. "We're still nowhere close to finding the Lights."

Budo kept his gaze fixed on his scroll. He answered with a calm patience. "Finding the Lights is my concern. Not yours. It will be done."

Budo slid his sword into its holster. One of his soldiers, a bulky villain who wore white robes covered in intricate, red and blue armor over his chest and arms, stepped forward from behind Budo. The villain named Samuron kneeled. The color of his face matched the color and styling of his armor.

"The Lights," Budo instructed his warrior. The general handed Samuron a scroll. "This scroll will lead you. The humans already have found the stone that holds the Lights. The stone is the key."

* * *

Ryouma sat up on the wooden slab within the lair. He drank from a bowl of water as the others stood around him. "…I barely remember what happened. But when he was carrying me from that cave…it felt…familiar."

"Familiar how?" Gouki asked.

"This sounds crazy…" Ryouma said. "But I think KuroKishi…I think he was my brother."

Saya opened her eyes wide. "Hyuuga?" It was no secret that she had a crush on Ryouma's older brother.

Hayate arced an eyebrow skeptically. "Ryouma…how could that be possible?"

Ryouma took another sip of water. "I don't know…I just know what I felt."

Moku's eyes suddenly snapped open. He sensed KuroKishi.

* * *

A small group of scientists drove a Starr Industries minivan across a bridge, which spanned a stone canyon that gave the city its name. They had unearthed an interesting find: an oblong-shaped stone that radiated with an immense amount of power.

The driver's breath caught in his throat when he saw a black-caped figure step in front of the van up ahead. The driver skid the van to a halt. The passengers were frozen with fear.

KuroKishi extended his hand towards the van and slowly walked forward. It was then that the scientists realized KuroKishi was after the stone.

The scientists scrambled from the front of the van and moved towards the rear van door. They opened the doors and started to pull a large metal briefcase from beneath a pile of crates.

KuroKishi moved behind the van. One of the scientists foolishly clutched onto the metal briefcase that held the stone. The black knight grabbed the scientist by the collar and lifted him to his feet.

"Stop!" a voice shouted from down the bridge.

KuroKishi turned to see Ryouma and the others dash forward. The teens snapped into fighting stances. Hayate narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing to these people?"

KuroKishi tossed the scientist aside and grabbed the briefcase. "That is none of your concern."

"It is now!" Hikaru shouted.

Ryouma brought his hands down in front of his body. "Galaxy Transform!" he turned the dial on his brace to the red line. "Ha!" he shouted while slapping the brace's activation panel.

Energy shimmered around the teens as they morphed into their Ranger forms. They snapped into their animal-like fighting stances.

Galaxy Blue sprang through the air to attack. KuroKishi grabbed the Blue Ranger by the throat and tossed him backward. Galaxy Blue tumbled across the ground to his friends' feet before rising.

KuroKishi set the briefcase aside and looked to the Rangers. He extended his hand forward in a simple fighting stance. "You should not have interfered…"

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Red shouted as the Rangers unsheathed their swords.

The Galaxy Rangers and KuroKishi slowly started to circle around each other. The Galaxy Rangers shifted stances while watching their opponent closely for weaknesses in his defense. They saw none.

* * *

The Rangers and KuroKishi did not notice a pair of yellow eyes watching them from below. Samuron grinned as he watched the Rangers and KuroKishi circle around each other.

"Those idiots are doing all the work for me…" he said quietly to himself, evil pleasure dripping off of every word.

The villain summoned a group of Yattatoo and moved towards the bridge to claim his prize: The Lights of Orion.

* * *

The scientists grabbed the case and scrambled away from the van as fast as they could, running for their lives. Samuron and a group of Yattatoo appeared and blocked the groups' path.

Samuron extended his hand and stalked towards the scientists. "Give me the case, and I will kill you quickly."

KuroKishi looked over his shoulder to see the orange-clad soldiers tear the case from the scientists' hands.

Galaxy Yellow pounced forward to attack the Black Knight while he was distracted. KuroKishi sidestepped and slammed a punch against the Yellow Ranger's gut, knocking him away.

Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Green, and Galaxy Pink charged towards the monster and Yattatoo to protect the scientists. The villain opened his jaw and fired a stream of crimson particle energy that exploded against the three Rangers' armor and knocked them to the ground.

The group of Balban fled rapidly from the bridge.

KuroKishi started to charge forward towards the Balban, but Galaxy Red blocked the Knight's path. The Red Ranger tightened his grip on his Seijuukin. "I'm not letting you leave here until you explain. Why were you trying to hurt these people?"

KuroKishi said nothing. The Black Knight pounced forward to bash the Ranger out of his way. Galaxy Red thrust his saber forward, but KuroKishi used his arm to pin the weapon against his side, and he thrust his other arm forward to grab the Ranger in a choke hold.

KuroKishi slammed his knee and against the Ranger's side and hurled him through the air. Galaxy Red crashed onto his back and tumbled backward.

The Black Knight glared down at the Ranger. "Stay out of my way. This is your last warning."

KuroKishi leapt through the air, vanishing from sight as he chased after the Balban.

* * *

The Balban fled to a rural area beneath the same bridge, only miles away. Samuron slammed his massive hammer against the egg-shaped rock repeatedly. But the rock would not even crack, even though the villain's hammer strikes shook the earth itself.

"Crack!" he shouted, slamming against the stone again. "Lights of Orion! Come out!"

He slammed his hammer against the stone, and his weapon snapped in half from the impact. Samuron opened his eyes wide with shock. Nothing could withstand the strike of his hammer! What sort of cursed rock was this…

"Hmph," the villain scoffed. It seemed he would have to be creative to crack the rock. Luckily, he had the perfect plan.

* * *

The rangers gathered in front of Moku.

"The Balban think they have discovered a powerful energy source through the strange stone," Moku explained.

"Have they?" Hayate asked.

"I am uncertain," Moku said.

Hikaru sighed with frustration. He hated unanswered questions. "Well KuroKishi sure thought he was onto something powerful too…"

Ryouma sighed with frustration and walked away from Moku's chamber. Saya followed him.

* * *

Ryouma sat on the fence at the ranch. Saya sat next to him. She looked at him sympathetically.

He sighed and started talking. "I know my brother is alive…I've heard his voice. And the feeling I had when I heard his voice…it was the same feeling as when KuroKishi carried me from that cave."

"I believe you," Saya said as she placed her hand on his knee.

Ryouma shook his head. "No you don't…but thanks…"

Their braces chimed. It was Moku. "Ryouma! Balban!"

* * *

Samuron and a group of Yattatoo stood outside the mountains northwest of Stone Canyon city. He was waiting for the Rangers. He did not have to wait too long.

The rangers ran to the scene from the woods. They stopped in their tracks and faced the Balban.

Samuron armed a bladed staff weapon. "Are you always so slow?"

Ryouma brought his hands down in front of his body. "Galaxy Transform!" he turned the dial on his brace to the red line. "Ha!" he shouted while slapping the brace's activation panel.

Columns of elemental energy circled around the teens as they morphed into their Ranger forms. They snapped into their animal-like fighting stances.

"Galaxy Red! Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green! Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue! Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow! Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink! Saya!"

Galaxy Red slowly moved his hand through a horizontal arc while shouting. "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy…" he stabbed his hand forward. "Star Beast Task Force…"

"Galaxy Rangers!" they shouted in unison.

"Break!" Galaxy Red shouted as the Rangers pounced forward to attack.

Galaxy Green leapt through the air with the grace of a mighty bird and swung his legs outward. He bashed his heels against a soldier's chest and pushed off, flipping backward and crashing his heels against two more of the orange-clad grunts.

Galaxy Blue hurled a soldier to the ground and dropped while slamming an elbow against the grunt's body, smashing its chest.

A Yattatoo moved towards Galaxy Blue while the Blue Ranger was still on the ground. The grunt swung his blade downward.

Galaxy Blue snapped out his leg and knocked the saber aside. He rolled across the ground while knocking the legs out from the soldier. The Blue Ranger slammed his elbow against the fallen grunt's neck, crushing the soldier's throat.

Galaxy Yellow pushed a fallen Yattatoo across the ground while shouting "Ya-tatatatatatatata!"

Galaxy Pink pushed a second fallen Yattatoo straight forward towards the Yellow Ranger. The two Rangers slammed the Yattatoo against each other and rolled aside.

Galaxy Red sprang through the air like a lion and swung his blade down towards Samuron. Samuron used his bladed staff to block the blow. Galaxy Red pressed his Seijuukin against the pirate's weapon while leaning forward.

Samuron opened his jaw and fired a wide particle beam that exploded against Galaxy Red at near-point-blank range and knocked him backward. The particle stream intensified, skidding the Red Ranger backward across the ground.

Galaxy Red slowly rose to his feet as the others gathered around him.

The Rangers threw their acorns to the ground. Explosions of light and golden columns of energy extended up from the ground from where the acorns struck. The columns of light materialized and formed five cylinder-shaped weapons of steel. Each had a handle that the Rangers grabbed onto.

"Quasar Launchers!" Galaxy Red shouted. The Rangers positioned the weapons over their shoulders like bazookas and aimed the Launchers forward. "Fire!"

Five spheres of energy blasted from the cannons and combined while streaking towards the villain in a blast of rolling, golden light.

Samuron thrust the stone forward, hoping the Rangers' blast would crack it open. The blast reflected off the stone and shot back at the Rangers, exploding against their armor and knocking them backward.

Samuron looked at the smoking stone in his hand. There was not a crack on the stone. "You have to be kidding me!"

The Rangers slowly climbed to their feet. Samuron glared at the team and armed his bladed staff again. He dashed forward, slashing the Rangers across their armor one-by-one. Explosions sparked across the Rangers' chests before they could defend themselves, knocking each of them backward.

The villain stalked towards the fallen Rangers. Samuron stepped onto the Red Ranger's head and pressed down hard. "Gingared…if I get rid of you…we may not even need the damn Lights."

Samuron pointed the blade of his staff down towards Galaxy Red's head.

A dagger suddenly cut through the air as if from nowhere and sparked against Samuron's hand, knocking the staff away.

"What the!" Samuron stepped backward while clutching his injured hand. He looked towards the rocky horizon and saw KuroKishi slowly walk onto the scene. The Black Knight's cape flowed around his tall, strong figure.

KuroKishi stood and extended his hand towards the villain. "Hand over the Lights."

Samuron scoffed. "These Lights belong to the Balban. Feel free to try and take them. Yattatoo!"

The orange-clad soldiers charged forward to attack.

KuroKishi stood firm as the Yattatoo swarmed towards him. He slowly unsheathed his saber, holding the weapon upside-down. He started walking through the group of approaching grunts.

The Black Knight swung his blade twice to slash open the first three Yattatoo. KuroKishi never broke his pace as he kept moving forward, parrying the grunts' curved saber strikes with his own blade. Steel rang against steel as the Black Knight knocked their weapons aside and slashed open their bodies, his blade sparking on impact.

The Rangers watched in amazement as KuroKishi slashed his way past the soldiers.

Only three Yattatoo remained. One of the grunts swung its blade towards KuroKishi. The Black Knight high blocked the blow and pushed the soldier's saber down before slashing upward through the grunt's chest with a burst of spark.

KuroKishi spun past the last two soldiers while whirling his blade in a butterfly pattern. Sparks ripped across the soldiers' bodies as they crashed to the ground.

KuroKishi continued forward towards the villain. "I'm not going to repeat myself…the Lights. Hand them to me now."

Samuron aimed his bladed staff forward. "I have something better in mind for you." The villain rushed forward to attack.

KuroKishi had his right hand on his saber's handle and his left hand stretched forward in a fighting stance. Samuron swung the bladed staff down towards the Black Knight's head.

KuroKishi blocked the blow against his left forearm. He unsheathed his saber, holding the blade upside down as he dashed past the villain and slashed across the monster's side with a burst of spark. KuroKishi turned back to face Samuron and swung his blade in an 'x' pattern, each strike sparking through armor.

KuroKishi jumped and kicked off the villain while somersaulting backward. The Black Knight energized his saber with deep blue and black energy and swung downward while landing. His attack ripped diagonally through the villain's body.

KuroKishi sheathed his saber, and Samuron fell backward, explosions tearing across his body.

The injured villain used the last of his strength to rise to his knees and sip from his vile of Balban essence. The liquid started a chain reaction, causing the monster to grow.

"Star Beasts, arise!" The Rangers shouted, calling for their companions.

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts as the five creatures stomped into battle.

"Zord transform!" Galaxy Red shouted while holding his Kiba Dagger into the air. Energy struck the daggers and flowed across the five beasts. The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped down into their cockpits.

"Seijuu fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward, their bodies shifting and changing as the five combined into one armored warrior. A golden hilted double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand.

"GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

Samuron charged forward and slashed his staff across Gingaiou, forcing the GalaxyMegazord backward.

GalaxyMegazord slammed the back of his fist across the monster. The giant tumbled backward.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber…" Galaxy Red commanded. "Blazing slash!"

The saber radiated with white energy. Gingaiou swung his energized saber downward diagonally, upward diagonally, downward vertically, and horizontally…the blows slashing through Samuron.

Samuron collapsed backward, his energy overloading and exploding as his body was ripped apart.

* * *

The Galaxy Rangers landed on the ground below. They looked for KuroKishi but could not spot him.

Then they noticed the Black Knight standing on a rocky hill in the distance. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his cape was snapping in the wind.

**To be continued...**


	11. Lights of Orion

**Lights of Orion**

Ryouma, Hikaru, Saya, and Hayate practiced along the western coast of Stone Canyon in a secluded area near the ocean. Ryuuta was with them, practicing his swordsmanship with a wooden saber Ryouma had crafted. Ryouma had his Seijuukin extended outward, while Ryuuta repeatedly held his sword high and chopped down on the blade, a simple move he had almost mastered.

Meanwhile Hikaru and Saya sparred through a kata with their swords. Their sabers clashed together as sunlight reflected off the blades. They circled around each other while exchanging blows.

"No, no, no," Hikaru said with frustration as he lowered his guard. "You've got it all wrong…you have to put your hip into it." Hikaru swung upward diagonally, twisted his hand, and chopped downward diagonally. "Like that."

"I was doing fine," Saya said. "I've known this kata for ten years."

Hikaru scoffed and turned from her. "Well it sure doesn't seem like it."

"I heard that," Saya said as she tightened her grip on her sword.

Hikaru turned back towards her. "I said it loud."

"Come on," Saya said as she raised her blade.

Hikaru swung downward. Saya blocked the blow, her saber clanging against Hikaru's sword as they pressed their blades against each other. They each pushed forward, glaring at each other, trying to gain the upper hand.

"You're still not putting your hip into it," Hikaru said through his clenched jaw. "Which is surprising considering how big your hips actually are."

Saya opened her eyes wide. She sidestepped and kicked Hikaru's legs out from under him, causing him to topple forward.

"That's enough, you two," Hayate said as he walked over to them. "I don't want a repeat of last time."

Hikaru's last argument with Saya had ended after Saya threw Boku at Hikaru and missed, causing the acorn to slam against Hayate's forehead. Saya had become infuriated when Hikaru ate some of the ingredients she intended to use to bake a cake.

"Go into the city and get our supplies for the week," Hayate said. "Talk. Cool off."

Hikaru and Saya both rolled their eyes.

* * *

A Balban samurai, with dark crimson armor traced in gold, stalked across the rooftops of Stone Canyon. A group of Yattatoo was behind him. The villain's name was Dotorumon.

He carried an intricate lancer over his shoulder.

The villain stopped at a rooftop ledge and looked out upon the city.

Budo had dispatched the villain to find the Lights of Orion. Having failed all other attempts to capture the Lights, the Balban chose a new strategy. They believed the Lights could move from object to object, place to place, but always seemed to hide within the city.

Dotorumon split the lancer in two. He hurled one of the lancers downward, and it struck into the street. The lancer pulsed with golden energy and projected a dome-shaped force field of invisible energy around the city.

"Excellent," he said to the Yattatoo, even though he knew the barely-sentient grunts did not understand a word. "When this second lance lures the Lights of Orion out, they will be trapped with nowhere to go. They will stay confined within the city until captured…"

* * *

The Egyptian-like Balban general Iresia sat within her private chambers on the Balban ship. A curtain was wrapped around her mattress so those outside could only see shadow.

Bukarates walked up to his niece's curtains. "One of Budo's men has a plan to find the Lights. Only this time…it sounds like the plan may actually work."

"We will prepare our plan now, then," Iresia said. "I cannot wait to see the look on Budo's face when he fails."

* * *

Saya and Hikaru stood on opposite sides of the sidewalk while walking through the shopping district. They did not say a word to each other and avoided making eye contact at all costs.

They suddenly slammed against the invisible barrier and crashed against the ground. They dropped their grocery bags, spilling fruits and vegetables onto the streets.

Cars and trucks slammed against the field in both directions, causing massive pile ups.

Saya and Hikaru slowly rose to their feet. They reached forward, and their hands touched the barrier. It seemed to extend in every direction.

* * *

Ryouma, Gouki, and Hayate were outside the field. They ran towards the invisible barrier, where police and ambulances were tending to various accident victims.

Ryouma narrowed his eyes. "It's the Balban. It has to be."

"Maybe we can get through it somehow," Hayate said.

Moku had informed them that the field was absorbing oxygen from the inside at an alarming rate. The thousands inside would suffocate.

Gouki stepped forward and swung his fist. His knuckles smacked against the field, and he winced in pain.

"Hikaru and Saya…" Hayate said as he looked over the invisible barrier. "They're in there…"

* * *

Dotorumon walked through the city streets with the lancer over his shoulder. He moved to a plaza area in front of a high-rise skyscraper. Concrete paths cut across well-kept patches of grass and bushes. The path branched off into separate trails, which formed steps leading down to the second level of the plaza, less than a foot below.

The villain was looking for the city's highest concentration of Ley Lines, lines of magick that wrapped around the Earth.

"Here…" he said to himself as he thrust the lancer into the grass. "This is the perfect place…"

"Balban!" Hikaru shouted as he and Saya ran to the scene. They skid to a stop and snapped into fighting stances. "Let me guess…trying to free the Lights of Orion? Why not get an original plan for once."

The two rangers armed their braces.

"Galaxy Transform!" they shouted as they turned the dials on their morphers. They slapped their braces' activation panels and shouted. "Ha!" Columns of elemental energy circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms and snapped into animal-like fighting stances.

The Yattatoo and Rangers charged at one another, slamming against each other with flurries of kicks and punches.

Galaxy Yellow moved in low and kicked the legs out from a soldier. He somersaulted across the ground and slammed a kick against a soldier's gut after finishing the roll. He used his foot to flip the soldier onto the ground. Galaxy Yellow slammed his elbow against the fallen soldier's chest.

Galaxy Pink moved forward with the speed of a cat, clawing her way past soldiers with blows that sparked through their bodies.

The Rangers finished the last of the soldiers and dashed towards their opponent.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Yellow shouted. They unsheathed their swords and held the blades in fighting stances while dashing towards Dotorumon. The blades started to glow with energy.

"Crescent Slash!" Galaxy Yellow shouted as he swung the blade downward in a streak of yellow energy.

"Nature Slash!" Galaxy Pink shouted while swinging her weapon downward through a diagonal streak of pink energy.

Dotorumon caught the weapons in his gauntlets. "If that's all the power you have, I'm not sure why we even need the Lights of Orion."

Dotorumon twisted the blades downward while pushing the Rangers back. The two Rangers tumbled across the ground before rising back to their feet. They stepped back into fighting stances, holding their blades in defensive positions.

Dotorumon unsheathed his slender sword and stalked towards the Rangers.

Galaxy Yellow narrowed his eyes beneath his helmet and clenched his jaw. He shouted a war cry and charged forward. The Yellow Ranger swung his blade down towards the villain's collar bone. Dotorumon slapped the Ranger's blade aside before slashing him twice across the chest, sword sparking on impact.

Galaxy Pink swung her saber upward towards the villain's body. Dotorumon parried the blow and slashed his sword across her armor. Explosions sparked across her body and tossed her backward.

Dotorumon energized his sword with dark crimson and amethyst energy. He swung his sword downward in an 'x' pattern, the blade streaking with energy as it cut across the Rangers' chests, slashing across their armor with bursts of spark that knocked them backward.

* * *

Ryouma, Gouki, and Hayate stood outside the barrier and called upon their Aasu. They thrust their hands forward. "Ha!"

Bursts of flame, water, and wind energy exploded against the barrier. But the force field was not weakened.

Moku spoke to them over their braces. "Rangers, you cannot destroy the barrier from the outside. If the energy shield overloads, the shockwave will destroy the city. The field can only be safely destroyed at its source. Inside."

* * *

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink slowly rose back to their feet. They were winded, more so than they should have been.

Dotorumon laughed when he noticed their discomfort. "The energy barrier is absorbing the oxygen inside faster than it can be replenished by plant life. Soon you will all be dead. An added bonus to finding the lights."

"Hikaru," Galaxy Pink said, "we have to fall back."

"No way," Galaxy Yellow said. "Not until we beat this bastard."

Galaxy Yellow held his blade high and charged towards the villain. He chopped downward, but Dotorumon parried the blow, twisted his wrist back around, and slashed across the Yellow Ranger's chest. Explosions sparked across the Yellow Ranger's armor and knocked him backward.

Galaxy Pink hopped in front of him, armed her Kiba weapon and aimed it downward in front of herself. "Kib-arrow!" She fired pink energy arrows that exploded against the ground around them with a massive curtain of sparks that concealed their escape.

* * *

Hikaru and Saya crouched out of sight on a second-floor balcony that stretched across a city building. Yattatoo were combing the streets below while trying to find the two rangers.

Hikaru struggled to keep his breath as he watched the orange-clad soldiers through the corner of his eyes. He had a cut on the side of his face that was bleeding.

Saya took a small piece of cloth from her pocket. "Hikaru, you're bleeding…" she said as she went to wipe his face.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes and flinched away from the cloth. "It's fine."

Saya scoffed. "I'm trying to be nice."

"Stop trying," Hikaru said as he started moving across the balcony, staying as low as he could while Saya followed me. "We should have stayed back there. There was no reason for us to retreat. We have to stop him and get our city back."

"Hikaru, wait…" Saya said.

"No," Hikaru said. "If you want to stay behind and hide? Then fine. You stay."

Hikaru leapt over the balcony and jumped down to ground level.

* * *

Ryouma, Hayate, and Gouki walked through the sewers underneath Stone Canyon's street. Gouki wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Now I have a whole new reason for missing home."

"Relax, Gouki," Ryouma said as they moved forward. "We're almost there."

The three rangers were checking to see if the invisible force shield extended below the streets. They got their answer when Hayate slammed against an invisible wall and crashed backward.

* * *

Hikaru crouched down and kicked the legs out from under a soldier. He slammed a knife-hand chop against the fallen grunt's body, smashing its chest.

The ranger turned to his right and slammed the back of his fist across a soldier's knee. The grunt collapsed, and Hikaru slammed his elbow against the fallen soldier's chest.

Hikaru dashed to a rail and leapt over it, jumping down to a lower level of the streets. He somersaulted forward the second his feet slammed the pavement to absorb the impact of the jump.

He rose to his feet and looked to his right. A bakery window had several cakes on display. One of the cake's was a birthday cake. The image jarred a recollection: Hyuuga's birthday was soon.

"That cake she was making…" Hikaru whispered as guilt welled in his throat. "It was for Hyuuga."

Saya had loved him, which was a fact obvious to everyone except for Hyuuga. They never had a chance to get together before Hyuuga died. She had never even told Hyuuga how she felt.

* * *

Golden light started to spark from the lancer sticking in the city streets. The Lights of Orion were about to emerge.

* * *

Saya ran across the streets, and a soldier stuck its orange leg out and tripped her to the ground. The soldier stood over her and chopped its blade towards her head. She reached up and grabbed the grunt by the wrist.

Saya struggled to push the soldier off of her, but she could not.

Hikaru suddenly lunged forward and slammed a kick against the grunt. The soldier crashed back and tumbled across the street.

Hikaru moved over to the grunt and lifted it by the neck. "Start talking. Where's the emitter?"

The cowering Yattatoo shook and pointed towards the west.

"Thanks." Hikaru smashed his forehead against the grunt's face, knocking the soldier out cold.

Hikaru slowly walked towards Saya, and neither one of them made eye contact with each other. Hikaru ripped off a piece of cloth from his shirt and extended it towards Saya.

"Here," he said awkwardly. "For your leg."

Saya smiled and took the cloth before wrapping it around the cut on her leg.

* * *

Light flickered from the lancer with greater intensity. Elated, Dotorumon circled around the golden staff. "It's finally going to happen…"

* * *

Hikaru and Saya ran underneath a building's cement overhang that straddled a corner. They noticed the shield generator in the center of a nearby plaza.

"There it is!" Hikaru shouted.

The two rangers sprinted towards the generator, but skid to a halt when they heard the massive roar of a bull echo through the air. They looked up to see the four-legged Taurozord, named GoTaurus, standing outside the field.

* * *

Ryouma, Gouki, and Hayate ran to KuroKishi, who was standing at the feet of his zord near the forcefield

"KuroKishi!" Ryouma shouted. "Whatever you're planning…don't."

The Black Knight did not bother looking back at the three rangers. "Don't presume you can stand in my way…I won't be responsible for my actions if you do."

KuroKishi snapped around with his back towards the zord. "Now, GoTaurus."

The zord's eyebeams shot down and enveloped KuroKishi. The Black Knight's body started to expand and grow giant, and heavy plates of armor wrapped around his body.

KuroKishi turned towards his zord. "GoTaurus! Armor merge!"

The Taurozord crackled with energy and rose onto its two hind legs. The zord shifted shape and formed a bulky suit of armor. The Black Knight leapt through the air and slid into the zord. The zord clamped shut around KuroKishi and formed a new zord.

"Armored Black Knight!" KuroKishi shouted. "BullTaurus!"

BullTaurus leapt through the air and landed closer to the forcefield. The zord armed its double-bladed golden staff and started striking against the field.

The field crackled with energy upon each blow. Strands of electric energy shot downward inside the bubble and exploded against the city streets with massive bursts of spark and flame.

Shockwaves knocked Saya and Hikaru off their feet, and they slammed against their tailbones.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "What's that psycho doing?"

BullTaurus slashed its staff across the force bubble with another series of blows and strikes, each blow causing the forcefield to flash with light.

Ryouma, Gouki, and Hayate ran near the feet of the zord.

"We have to stop him!" Gouki shouted.

Ryouma looked towards the distance. "Star Beasts, arise!"

GingaLion roared in the distance and charged towards the scene. Gingarilla and GingaCondor moved in alongside the crimson lion.

Ryouma and his two teammates stepped forward and armed their braces. "Galaxy Transform!" They slapped their braces' activation panels. "Ha!" Columns of their elemental energy circled around them and activated their armor.

Galaxy Red, Galaxy Blue, and Galaxy Green leapt onto their Star Beasts, which surrounded BullTaurus.

BullTaurus stepped back into a fighting stance and tightened its grip on its double-bladed golden staff. The zord lifted its staff into an attack posture.

* * *

Saya and Hikaru continued their sprint towards the shield generator, but Dotorumon stepped onto the plaza and blocked their path.

"So you two little rangers found my toy," the villain said mockingly. "That's almost clever."

"You'll excuse us if we don't take time to banter," Hikaru said as he and Saya charged forward to attack.

"Galaxy Transform!" they shouted while dashing forward. Columns of elemental energy circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms. The two Rangers pounced through the air and attacked.

"Kiba Knives!" The two Rangers swung their daggers down towards the villain's head.

Dotorumon used his sword to block the blow and push the Rangers back. They tumbled backward across the ground.

Galaxy Pink rolled back onto her feet and switched her Kiba Dagger to its bow formation. Galaxy Yellow did the same.

"Kib-arrow!" they shouted, firing volleys of energy arrows that shot towards the villain. Dotorumon used his saber to deflect each blast, and the energy arrows exploding with sparks as the pirate's blade cut through.

* * *

Gingarilla charged forward and tackled against BullTaurus. The zord knocked the beast's arms away and slashed Gingarilla across the chest, blade sparking against the beast's flesh.

BullTaurus stepped past Gingarilla while slashing the beast across the chest, turned, and slashed against the beast again. The blade sparked on impact and knocked Gingarilla backward, sending the beast crashing against the ground.

GingaCondor suddenly swooped through the air and slashed its wings across BullTaurus, taking the zord by surprise. BullTaurus was forced a step back as GingaLion stepped forward to attack.

Galaxy Red stood on his zord's head, and fiery energy flashed around both of them. "Mane of Flame!"

The lion opened its mouth and launched a torrent of flame that shot through the air towards BullTaurus.

BullTaurus twirled his staff in a butterfly pattern to deflect most of the fiery blast, which splashed against the zord's armor with massive bursts of spark. The flames died down, and BullTaurus stomped towards the lion.

Galaxy Red lowered his hands in shock. "Impossible…he stood against the Mane of Flame!"

BullTaurus held his staff forward and stomped towards the lion. Suddenly, BullTaurus stopped in his tracks and clutched onto his chest. Strands of energy crackled around BullTaurus as pain shot through the zord and its pilot.

GoTaurus flashed with energy and separated from KuroKishi. The Black Knight landed on the ground below.

Galaxy Red, Galaxy Green, and Galaxy Blue landed nearby KuroKishi and watched as the Black Knight limped off while clutching his chest.

Without speaking a word, KuroKishi leapt off into the distance while his zord stomped away from the scene, giving a worried moan.

Galaxy Blue laid a hand on Galaxy Red's shoulder. "Maybe you hit him harder than you thought…"

Galaxy Red shook his head. "No…something is wrong with him."

* * *

Galaxy Yellow swung his blade towards Dotorumon. The Balban parried the blow and slashed the Ranger aside.

Galaxy Pink swung her blade low, but Dotorumon parried the blow and slashed the Pink Ranger across the chest with a pair of strikes, which whipped the Ranger off her feet.

Galaxy Pink and Galaxy Yellow tumbled across the ground and landed by each others' side. The two Rangers rolled back to their feet and stepped back into defensive stances.

Dotorumon energized his sword with dark crimson and amethyst energy. He swung his sword downward in an 'x' pattern, the blade streaking with energy as it cut across the Rangers' chests, slashing across their armor with bursts of spark that knocked them backward.

The Rangers crashed against the invisible barrier and slumped back to the ground.

"You two are obviously the weakest of your quaint little Ranger clan," the Balban taunted.

Galaxy Yellow tightened his grip on his weapons. "You do _not_ want to tick us off, Balban!"

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink charged towards the Balban warrior. The Pink Ranger fell into formation behind the Yellow Ranger.

Dotorumon extended his hand and fired invisible energy blasts that exploded around the Rangers. Sparks ignited across the Rangers' armor while they continued their advance.

The Rangers leapt forward.

Galaxy Yellow swung his Kiba Cutter and Seijuukin in an x-shaped pattern towards the villain's midsection. The villain blocked the blow, but Galaxy Yellow used his blades to catch the warrior's weapon and hold it down.

Galaxy Pink landed while slashing her sword across the villain, blade sparking on impact and knocking Dotorumon backward.

"Don't bother getting up." Galaxy Yellow continued his advance and charged towards the shield-emitter. "Crescent Slash!" The Ranger's weapon energized with crackling, lightning power and swung downward. Galaxy Yellow slashed through the emitter, which exploded and shattered on impact.

The forcefield around Stone Canyon shattered, and a gust of air rushed over the streets with the sound of a thunderclap. Galaxy Red, Galaxy Blue, and Galaxy Green changed deeper into the city towards their friends, and the five Rangers regrouped at the plaza as Dotorumon slowly rose to his feet.

Dotorumon narrowed his brow. "You may have destroyed the field...but the Lights will still belong to me."

Galaxy Red pointed forward. "Never, Balban!"

The Rangers armed small acorns and threw them to the ground. Explosions of light, and bright, golden columns of energy extended up from the ground from where the acorns had struck. The columns of light materialized and formed five cylinder-shaped weapons of steel. Each had a handle that the Rangers grabbed.

"Quasar Launchers!" Galaxy Red shouted as they swung the weapons over their shoulders and aimed forward. "Fire!"

Five energy spheres shot forward, combined, and exploded against Dotorumon with an explosive force that shook the plaza area. But the Balban managed to stay on his feet.

Dotorumon actually laughed while he covered his wound, still smoking across his armor. "It's a wonder you five have survived this long."

The wind suddenly howled across the streets. Nearby, Dotorumon's spire started to vibrate. Golden power pulsed through the spire as sparks shot from its top.

A sparkling globe of golden energy suddenly erupted from the spire and hovered over the streets. The sphere radiated with power that cast a warm glow across the surrounding plaza.

"The Lights!" Galaxy Pink shouted as the Lights of Orion hovered away towards the woods.

Dotorumon charged into the woods to follow the Lights. The Rangers were at his heels. Their communicators chimed a signal from Moku.

"Rangers," their mentor said. "You cannot allow the Balban to have the Lights. They will become unstoppable. Keep Dotorumon away."

"What does it look like we're doing," Galaxy Yellow smarted off.

The Rangers crouched in animal-like stances while running and closing in on Dotorumon.

"Ha!" Galaxy Red leapt through the air and twisted his body while passing over Dotorumon.

The Red Ranger landed in front of the villain and pounced forward while swinging his Kiba Cutter. The Balban lifted his blade to block the blow, and the two opponents pressed their weapons against each other.

* * *

KuroKishi limped through the wilderness and clutched his chest. He was still in pain. His chest ached with fire. He knew his time was running out. He was dying.

The Black Knight looked into the distance where the Lights hovered in the woods.

"The Lights of Orion..." he said in a weak voice as he limped down towards the trees.

**To be continued...**


	12. Shine

**Shine**

Dotorumon twirled his blade while hacking across the Rangers' armor, his sword sparking on impact while slashing across their bodies. The Rangers tried to strike back with their Seijuukin, but the Balban parried and blocked their blows with near masterful precision.

Galaxy Red held his Kiba Cutter in his left hand and his Seijuukin in his right hand, and he swung both blades towards Dotorumon. But the villain lifted his sword and blocked the blow. The Balban knocked the Ranger's arms away and slashed Galaxy Red across the chest, blade sparking on impact and whipping the Red Ranger backward.

Galaxy Red landed on his feet, crouched down, and sprang back towards the villain while somersaulting through the air.

"Mane of Flame!" The Ranger's blades swung downward through streaks of fiery energy in an x-shaped pattern.

Dotorumon blocked the blow and knocked Galaxy Red backward. The Red Ranger crashed against the ground and tumbled over to his teammates.

Galaxy Blue and Galaxy Green stepped forward with their Kiba Shot weapons, and Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink armed their Kib-arrow weapons. They opened fire with power blasts and energy arrows that streaked towards the Balban.

Dotorumon twirled his blade to deflect the blasts as they exploded around him with bursts of spark, and he charged through the blasts to attack.

Dotorumon energized his sword with dark crimson and amethyst energy. He swung his sword downward in an 'x' pattern, the blade streaking with energy as it cut across the Rangers' chests, slashing across their armor with bursts of spark that knocked them backward.

Secondary explosions erupted in strands of crimson energy that exploded against the Rangers while they crashed against the ground.

Dotorumon turned and ran towards where the Lights hovered above. He pulled out an ornate jar and twisted off its lid. The mystic jar created a vortex that sucked the Lights inside, and Dotorumon placed the lid back on the jar to seal the power source.

"No!" Galaxy Red shouted.

Dotorumon hissed laughter as he ran from the scene. "Too slow, Rangers. Too slow..."

* * *

Iresia sat on a floor mat within her private chambers on the Balban ship. A curtain was wrapped around her mattress so those outside could only see shadow.

Bukarates walked up to his niece's curtains and pulled them aside, only slightly, so he could step inside. "My niece, Budo's minion has the Lights."

Iresia appeared unconcerned, and continued laying down sparkling gems in a pattern in front of her. "Does he now? The fool became lucky, it seems."

"The captain was elated..." Bukarates said cautiously.

"Well..." Iresia pulled out another pouch of gems to continue her pattern. "He won't be for long, will he, Medusai."

A figure stepped out from the shadows. The monster wore a golden mask over a pale face and had long, snake-like hair. Her body was covered in a strange, lumpy organic armor, purple over the body and chest and etched with golden lines and symbols, and dark green over her arms and legs. Bony spikes extended downward from her pauldrons.

"Yes, mistress," Medusai said as she lowered her head.

"You know what to do," Iresia said without looking at her minion. "Carry out my plans, without failure."

"Yes, mistress," Medusai said.

The monster started a spin, and as she turned around, she shape shifted into a duplicate of Budo. Medusai- as a doppelganger of Budo- finished her spin and bowed to her mistress. She spoke in Budo's voice: "It will be done."

* * *

Dotorumon ran along a rocky shoreline several meters above the ocean. The villain clutched the urn beneath his arm and hurried to deliver the Lights to his master.

Without warning, an explosion sparked against Dotorumon with a burst of spark, stopping him in his tracks. The villain looked to his right to see KuroKishi charging forward.

The Black Knight ran towards Dotorumon while holding his double-edged sword forward to attack. "Give me the Lights!"

KuroKishi leapt through the air and chopped his blade towards Dotorumon, but the villain caught the blade and knocked the Black Knight away. KuroKishi whirled back and stepped into a defensive stance.

Dotorumon armed his sword while holding the urn beneath his arm.

The Black Knight and Balban dashed along the shore while facing each other and holding their blades towards one another. At the same time, they leapt through the air and passed by each other while clashing swords.

The Balban and Black Knight landed back-to-back.

The opponents turned to face each other and swung their swords. Their blades clashed together and locked into position while they turned in a circle, each trying to gain the upper hand.

Suddenly, an unseen attacker hacked away at the Black Knight's back with bursts of spark that forced the warrior aside. KuroKishi was too close to the edge of a cliff, and he stumbled over the edge and plummeted towards the ocean below.

Dotorumon looked to see who had saved him- it was Budo.

Budo looked over the cliff where the Black Knight had fallen. "That won't stall him for long." He looked to Dotorumon. "Come with me, quickly."

* * *

Budo led Dotorumon into a cave, with an entrance concealed by a waterfall. The two villains sat across from each other as Dotorumon pulled the urn from underneath his arm and extended it towards Budo. "The Lights of Orion..."

Budo held out his hand and gently pushed the urn back towards Dotorumon. "No...keep them. You've earned that right. The right to use the Lights against the Galaxy Rangers."

Dotorumon's eyes widened with shock. "Are you certain?"

Budo nodded as he pulled a string of white beads from beneath his robes. "You have proven yourself to be my finest warrior." He held the beads, tipped with a small, carved snake head, towards Dotorumon. "Take this, and wear it as you would a medal of honor."

Dotorumon reached out and took the beads. "I am grateful..." He wrapped the beads around his wrist so that the snake-head carving dangled slightly. "I will not fail you."

"See that you don't."

* * *

Ryouma and his teammates ran through the forest to find Dotorumon and the Lights of Orion. They had followed the villain's trail across mountainous, hilly terrain, which led them to a waterfall. They stopped and looked around the area for any sign of the Balban.

"I don't get it," Ryouma said as he looked over the area. "The trail stops here, but I'm not seeing anything."

"Look closer, Rangers!" a voice shouted from behind the waterfall.

Dotorumon stepped through the rushing water while carrying the urn beneath his arm and his curved sword in his free hand.

"Dotorumon!" Ryouma shouted as the teens snapped into fighting stances. "Hand over the Lights! Or we'll just have to take them!"

The monster tilted his head back and laughed. "An empty, although amusing, threat," Dotorumon said. "But tell me, rangers, how will you take the Lights from me after the Lights and I become one!"

Dotorumon pulled the lid free from the urn, and the Lights of Orion shot forth and splashed across his body, covering him in a shell of golden light. He tossed the urn to the ground as his armor glowed and transformed. Curved spikes extended from his shoulder armor, and his left hand turned into a curved, crab-like claw etched with dull gold. His upper left arm contorted into dull-gold armor with an emerald gem. And a curved, V-shaped, bladed emblem extended from his forehead.

The light faded, and the Rangers noticed that even the monster's sword had changed. The villain's blade was thicker, with jagged, golden ridges along the edge.

Dotorumon held his arms wide and leaned his head back as he howled with laughter. "The power!" He lowered his head and glared at the rangers with eyes that burned bright crimson. "Try challenging me now!"

Dotorumon traced the edge of his claw along his curved saber, and a crimson glow followed his touch along the blade until the entire sword pulsed with red-tinted energy. The villain swung the sword, which fired a twirling blade of crimson energy that exploded around the rangers with massive bursts of flame.

The shockwave slammed against the rangers and sent them flying off their feet. They hit the ground hard and tumbled down a nearby hill, kicking up dirt and slamming past trees, before landing in a clearing.

Dotorumon laughed with delight and started following the rangers down the hill. He didn't notice Budo step out from behind the waterfall- nor did he notice Budo's body transform into Medusai.

Medusai waited until Dotorumon was out of sight before reaching down and lifting the urn that had carried the Lights of Orion. "That fool was even easier to trick than I imagined."

The monster cackled with pride at her own brilliance, not noticing that KuroKishi was watching.

* * *

Ryouma tried to ignore the splitting pain in his side as he climbed to his feet. The first thing he noticed was the sight of his teammates, sprawled across the ground, barely conscious.

"Guys!" he shouted. He went to each of them, leaning down to make sure they were okay, and imploring them to move. "Come on, we've got to fall back. We can't fight him when we're in this kind of shape."

"You mean beaten inches from death?" Hikaru said as he rose to his feet. "That the kind of shape you're talking about?"

"Ryouma's right," Hayate said as he and the others climbed to their feet. "We need to regroup, gather our strength, and come up with a plan."

"Come on," Ryouma said as he led his team deeper into the woods to gain distance away from the super-charged Dotorumon.

They didn't make it far.

Yattatoo sprang from the bushes and ambushed the rangers, who were immediately surrounded and left with little room to maneuver. The grunts hacked their swords towards the teens, but the rangers fought back, blocking the grunts' blows, flipping them to the ground, and bashing kicks and punches against their frail bodies.

They didn't have time to get clear before Dotorumon started firing random bursts of energy from somewhere on the wooded hills above, to scatter the rangers from cover. Comets of golden-tinted, crimson energy exploded around the rangers and tore through grunts with bursts of spark that kicked up dirt, grass and smoke. The shockwaves knocked the rangers from their feet and hurled the bodies of Yattatoo through the air.

* * *

Budo- the real Budo- kneeled on the deck of the Balban ship while awaiting word from his minion Dotorumon. Zaihabu impatiently paced back and forth, while Sherinda tapped the blade or her slender sword against her palm. She eyed Budo with great interest, waiting for him to break his calm.

But it was Zaihabu who snapped first. "Where are the Lights?" he snarled. "That crab-brained monster captured them; where is he?"

"He will come," Budo said, as calmly as ever.

"Capt. Zaihabu!" the doors to the main deck swung open, and Bukarates waddled in as quickly as his short, stubby legs made possible. "Word from the mainland, captain...Dotorumon has captured the Lights...but he has used them on himself!"

Budo snapped to his feet. "What?!"

Sherinda glared at the general. "Budo..."

Budo shook his head. "I knew nothing of this. He was to return the Lights to me so that their radiance could revive Daitanix. I made this clear."

Zaihabu stared at his general but said nothing. The quieter he was, the angrier he was- a lesson his subordinates had learned quickly.

Bukarates waddled closer to the captain. "Unlikely. Budo's warriors all follow a code of honor that is twisted, but still strict. Dotorumon would have never disobeyed a direct order, nor would he have chosen to use the Lights for himself. He must have been ordered to use the Lights."

"Foolishness," Budo spat. "For what reason would I-"

Sherinda's sword was at the general's neck in an instant. She glared at Budo, and her face betrayed a brief moment of amusement. "Hand me your sword, _general_."

* * *

Another wave of Dotorumon's energy bursts exploded around the rangers with shockwaves that hurled them through the air. They slammed against the dirt and tumbled down another hill before crashing to a stop. Slowly, they pulled themselves to their feet. Their clothes were torn and tattered, and their faces were covered with bruises and trickles of blood.

"Okay," Hikaru said. "We're not moving _nearly_ fast enough."

"Just keep moving," Ryouma said.

From above, Dotorumon shouted. "What's the matter Rangers? Too scared to face me and my newfound power? I guess if I can't blast you out, I'll have to burn you out!"

Dotorumon swung his blade, which pulsed with a stream of flame that swept across the woods and burned through trees and bushes with the full force of a wild fire. Flames washed down and surrounded the teens as they dove for cover.

"No!" Saya shouted. "What's he doing!"

Gouki noticed a rabbit try to hop free, but flames and smoke surrounded the creature. He placed his hands together, palms out, and thrust his arms forward. "Ha!"

A wave of hydro energy sprayed from his hands and doused the nearby flames, but the rabbit was nowhere in sight.

Nearby, Saya leaned down and lifted a fallen bird, too weak to fly away or keep its eyes open. "No...we've got to stop him. Look what he's doing!"

Ryouma nodded and armed his bracer. "Running's not an option anymore."

The teens regrouped. "Galaxy transform!" They twisted the dials on their morphers and slapped their activation panels. "Ha!" Columns of elemental energy circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

The Rangers leaned down in animal-like postures and ran through the flames to face Dotorumon. They dashed through the fire and reached a small clearing where Dotorumon stood, waiting.

"Predictable," Dotorumon said. "Literally, like moths to a flame."

"You've ruined this place!" Galaxy Red shouted.

"And I'll ruin you too!" Dotorumon traced the edge of his claw along his curved saber, and a crimson glow followed his touch along the blade until the entire sword pulsed with red-tinted energy. The villain swung the sword, which fired a beam of red, fiery energy that sparked against the Rangers and whipped their bodies backward. They crashed against the grass as smoke sizzled from their armor.

Galaxy Red placed his hands against the dirt and pushed himself up, rising into a crouched position before climbing back to his feet. "Quasar Launchers!" The other Rangers rose to their feet, and they armed their launchers. They grasped the handles of their weapons and held the barrels over their shoulders while aiming towards the Balban monster. "Fire!"

Each launcher fired a burst of colored light, but the energy blasts bounced harmlessly off Dotorumon as he stalked towards the Rangers with his blade held outward in a fighting stance.

"The Lights make me invincible," Dotorumon said. "I am more than just a warrior, I am an unstoppable force of nature!"

"You're a cancer to nature!" Galaxy Pink shouted.

"Ha!" Dotorumon laughed. "That works too."

"One more time, guys," Galaxy Red said. "Channel as much of your Aasu as you can!" Each Ranger pulsed with their color, and the energy flowed from around their bodies and into the barrels of their Quasar Launchers. They swung the weapons back over their shoulders and aimed at Dotorumon. "Fire!"

Five bolts of colored light shot from the launchers, and each blast sparked against Dotorumon and knocked him back a step. But he stood his ground.

The Rangers, however, were fatigued from having used so much of their energy. Their legs became weak, and they collapsed to their knees while using their launchers as support to keep from falling completely.

Dotorumon laughed as he walked closer to the fallen Rangers. "Goodbye, Gingaman...the end of your precious 3,000-year legacy is now..."

He raised his sword high to chop down on the Rangers, but before he could, the snake head on his beaded bracelet blew a puff of black smoke that clouded his mask, blurred his vision and seeped into his lungs. He stumbled and nearly collapsed.

A hideous, female laughter came from the treetops above, and Dotorumon looked up to see Medusai sitting on a tree branch, staring down at him. She held the urn in her hands. "Is something the matter, great warrior?" She laughed mockingly. "You are truly an idiot."

"You..." Dotorumon hacked as he rose to his feet. "You did this to me!"

"Yes..." she pulled out the urn. "And now to take the Lights which you stole."

A green-tinted blaster bolt suddenly cut through the air and shattered the urn in her hands. "What?!"

She looked to see KuroKishi slowly walk onto the scene with his rifle in hand.

"The Lights," the Black Knight said. "Will never belong to the Balban, shape-shifter."

KuroKishi aimed his rifle and fired another volley of pulse blasts that sparked against Medusai and knocked her from the tree. The monster crashed against the ground and stumbled to her feet, backing away from the Black Knight and Dotorumon.

She glared at the Black Knight. "This is not over," she said, as she vanished out of sight.

KuroKishi unsheathed his sword and pointed the blade towards Dotorumon. "You're weakened. Spare yourself unneeded pain and let me strike you down quickly."

"Argh!" Dotorumon chopped his blade towards KuroKishi, but the Black Knight swung his sword and blocked the blow, twisted the villain's weapon downward, and slashed against the monster with an x-shaped pattern that sparked on impact.

The monster stumbled backward, and KuroKishi pushed forward with a flying somersault through the air. The Black Knight landed while chopping his blade against the monster's arm gem, which shattered with a pulse of golden light.

Golden light shimmered around Dotorumon as he powered down to his normal form. The Lights of Orion stretched from the villain's body, pulled free, and formed a glowing, sparkling orb that shot away from the monster.

The orb of brilliant light hovered near the tree tops and sparkled with radiance, along with enough power to kick up a small wind storm. The winds rustled the trees and grass, and the light pulsed with life.

KuroKishi spotted the Lights and ran towards the sparkling orb, but the Rangers blocked his path.

"No way," Galaxy Red said. "No way someone like you is getting the Lights. You'd wipe out half the planet trying to destroy the Balban."

"Only if necessary," he said. "Now stand aside."

"No!" Galaxy Red shouted. "We'd rather destroy the Lights than hand them over to you!"

"I don't have time for this." KuroKishi aimed his rifle and fired bursts of emerald-green energy that sparked against the Rangers and knocked them backward.

The Black Knight dashed past the Rangers and stood beneath the Lights of Orion while extending his hand upward towards the energy orb. "Lights of Orion, come to me! Be the instrument of my revenge!"

"No!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Quasar Launchers!"

The Rangers armed their launchers and aimed towards the sparkling Lights of Orion. But before the Rangers could fire, the Black Knight aimed his rifle and triggered a volley of energy bursts that sparked across their armor and knocked them back.

KuroKishi again held his hand out towards the Lights of Orion. But the Lights hovered away from him and towards the Rangers, who were climbing back to their feet.

The Lights pulsed and chimed while hovering over the Rangers and casting its brilliance upon them.

"What are they doing?" Galaxy Green asked.

"The Lights..." Galaxy Red said. "I think they're choosing us."

"Choosing us?" Galaxy Yellow asked. "What do you-"

The Lights of Orion pulsed with a blinding, golden brilliance that enveloped the Rangers and swept across their armor. Bands of gold, each with an emerald gem, formed over their upper left arms, and clawed fist weapons covered their left forearms and hands. Thick golden bands wrapped around the ends of their gauntlets and boots, and golden bucklers, each engraved with a black V, formed on their belts.

"Ha!" The Lights shimmered away, and the Rangers stood in their new, powered-up armor.

"No!" KuroKishi shouted. "You stole the Lights!"

From the distance, Dotorumon snarled at the Rangers and gripped tightly onto his sword. "You! No! I won't allow myself to become a failure!"

Dotorumon charged at the Rangers with his sword held high, and the Rangers leaned forward in animal-like postures as they dashed towards the monster. They held their swords forward, blades pointed upward.

"Power up mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Dotorumon. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the villain as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Secondary explosions tore across Dotorumon's body, and he was about to drink a growth elixir, when KuroKishi blasted the vial from his hand. The villain clutched his chest and toppled to the ground as his energy overloaded and exploded.

The Rangers lowered their weapons and powered down their armor, releasing the Lights of Orion. Once released, the Lights split into five smaller orbs of golden energy that shot down and splashed across the Rangers' morphers, bonding with the bracers.

**To be continued...**


	13. Shark Brothers

**Shark Brothers**

The rangers gathered in front of Moku along with their young friend Ryuuta and the floating acorn boy named Boku. Boku had taken a liking to Ryuuta and was often found hovering over the child's shoulder.

Ryuuta grabbed onto Ryouma's forearm and opened his eyes wide with wonder as he looked at the ranger's morpher. He traced his fingers along the lines and curves of the bracer. "Whoa...so the Lights of Orion are in here now?"

Ryouma smiled down at his friend. "Looks that way."

"Yes," Moku said. "The Lights of Orion have separated and bonded with your morphers. The power of the Lights will be at your disposal when needed."

Worry furrowed Hayate's brow as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "KuroKishi won't be too happy," he said. "He wanted those Lights almost as much as the Balban."

"Can you imagine what that psycho knight would have done?" Hikaru asked. "We've got to put him down before more people get hurt."

"No," Ryouma said. "There's something about him...I don't know what, but we can't just kill him. He has to have a reason for hating the Balban so much. A personal reason. If we find out what it is, maybe we can reason with him. Help him somehow."

"Or maybe he'll kill us for getting in his way," Hikaru said. "He tries to do that a lot. We have the scars to prove it. So let's just put him down and be done with it so we can stop the Balban and save our home."

"We're not going to kill him," Saya said. "Hyuuga would never..."

She hesitated and looked to Ryouma, who visibly weakened with grief at the mention of his brother's name. Ryouma shook his head, as if clearing the painful memories from his mind, and looked to his teammates. "She's right. Hyuuga would never do something like that. He wouldn't let _us_ do something like that. Besides...the Balban are our real problem, not the Black Knight."

* * *

Capt. Zaihabu stalked back and forth across the deck of his ship while in a rage. "Budo...my most loyal general...betrayed me..."

Sherinda stood nearby, tracing her nails along the blade of her slender sword while leaning against the wall. "He's locked in the brig where he belongs," she said as she watched her nails scratch against the sword. "He'll eventually rot away...to him, a fate worse than execution."

"No, I want him dead," Zaihabu said. "But onto other matters...the Gingaman."

The captain's armored, Viking-like general stomped forward- Batbos had been waiting for his moment. "My army will crush the Galaxy Rangers," he said, tightening his grip around his massive war axe. "I will not fail you. I'm not a psycho like Sanbashu, or a traitor like Budo."

"No..." Bukarates said as he waddled into the room. "But you are a dumb brute. My niece, Iresia, has the finesse you lack."

"What did you say?!" Batbos bent down and lifted short, stubby Bukarates by the collar. "You little keg...I'll punt you off this ship!"

Zaihabu lifted his hooked hand. "Stop...Bukarates is right."

Batbos grumbled and dropped the shorter minion to the deck. Bukarates wobbled back onto his feet and inclined his head towards his captain. "I will let Iresia know immediately."

* * *

Budo sat silently within the brig, deep in the bowels of the castle on top of Daitanix. His eyes were closed, and his posture calm, as he waited. He'd lost track of how long he'd been locked up. Instead, he focused on remaining in a deep, meditative state to keep his senses sharp. He would need them.

A panel from the ceiling above him suddenly splintered to pieces, raining down saw dust, as two ninja-like shark creatures dropped into the jail cell. They immediately kneeled in front of Budo and lowered their heads.

"My general," one of the Shark Brothers, Onimaru said. He pulled Budo's sword from behind his back and extended the weapon to the general. "Your blade."

"We came as soon as possible," said the other Shark Brother, Yamimaru.

"What have you learned?" Budo asked.

"It was Iresia," Onimaru said. "She betrayed you. One of her minions, Medusai, posed as you and tricked honorable Dotorumon into using the Lights on himself."

If Budo was angry, he didn't show it. "Very well. We must prove my innocence at once."

"How, my general?" Yamimaru asked.

"You will see..." Budo slowly rose to his feet, unsheathed his sword, and slashed through the bars of his jail cell to carve an opening. "Come..."

Budo stepped from the jail cell, and the Shark Brothers followed.

* * *

The shopping plazas of Stone Canyon were nowhere near as expansive as those in Angel Grove, but they were still a sight to behold. Trees and bushes decorated wide plazas of white concrete and brick, where pedestrians walked between towering city buildings. Tables and fountains dotted the plaza area, where shoppers could sit, take breaks, and eat at various outdoor cafes.

The scenic landscape was the perfect target for Budo and the Shark Brothers.

Onimaru and Yamimaru snapped volleys of throwing stars that exploded through tables and cut across the plaza with bursts of spark, scattering the civilians, who screamed and ran.

Budo unsheathed his sword, walked to the overhang of a building, and sliced through the overhang's columns, collapsing the structure.

"Balban!" someone shouted from nearby. Budo and the Shark Brothers looked to see Ryouma and his teammates run to the street.

"Gingaman..." Budo said. "You arrived faster than I expected. Leave..."

"Not a chance!" Ryouma shouted as he armed his bracer.

"Galaxy transform!" They turned the dials on their morphers. "Ha!" They slapped their morphers' activation panels, and columns of elemental energy circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

"Seijuukin!" Galaxy Red shouted. The Rangers unsheathed their swords, hunched over in animal-like postures, and charged forward to attack.

Onimaru and Galaxy Green leapt through the air towards one another, and the Green Ranger swung his sword at the villain. Onimaru grabbed the blade, grasped the Ranger's neck, and tackled Galaxy Green to the ground while holding him in place.

Galaxy Blue dashed to help the Green Ranger, but Onimaru snapped a volley of throwing stars that sparked against the Blue Ranger's armor and knocked him backward.

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink surrounded Yamimaru, but the shark monster easily slashed them aside with bursts of spark.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Red and Budo charged at one another. The Red Ranger hopped at the villain, and their swords clashed with a flurry of swings and strikes. Budo swung a wide arc that Galaxy Red ducked beneath, but when he rose to full height, Budo bashed the hilt of his sword across the Ranger's helmet with enough force to send him flying off his feet.

The Red Ranger tumbled across the ground and rose to his feet as the others regrouped around him, just as Onimaru snapped a volley of throwing stars that sparked against their armor.

Yamimaru stepped forward, whispered an incantation, and hurled a beam of crimson energy that stabbed against the Red Ranger's head. Galaxy Red's helmet flashed, and he groaned with pain, grasping his head, as he dropped to his knees.

"Ryouma!" Galaxy Pink shouted.

Budo and the Shark Brothers were about to close in on the Rangers when explosions sparked around them. Yattatoo suddenly ran onto the scene and surrounded the former Balban general and his two warriors.

The grunts were just the distraction the Rangers needed. Galaxy Green draped Galaxy Red's arm over his shoulder and lifted him from the ground. "Come on, we've got to get Ryouma out of here..."

The Rangers fell back, leaving Budo and the Shark Brothers surrounded by Yattatoo. Budo and his two warriors stood in defensive stances but didn't attack- nor did the Yattatoo. The grunts merely circled around the honorable general who'd been branded a traitor.

Slowly, the grunts parted, making way for Medusai to walk towards Budo and the Shark Brothers.

"Budo," she said, her voice thick with amusement. "I would have thought one of your intellect would have stayed low after escaping from the brig. Tell your fish ninja to stand down, and come with me back to the ship. Your executioner awaits."

"The only thing that awaits me is the restoration of my honor..." Budo reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll, which he held out to Medusai. "Take this to Capt. Zaihabu. It is a message, meant for his eyes only."

Medusai reached out and grasped the scroll. Once the scroll was in her hands, Budo tossed a pellet to the ground, which erupted into a cloud of smoke that concealed Budo and the Shark Brothers as they vanished from sight.

The Yattatoo scrambled through the smoke to find any trace of where Budo and his warriors had escaped, but Medusai stood still. She slowly untied the scroll, opened it, and began to read. The message detailed Budo's plans, to separate the Rangers to make them weaker, and to kill them off one by one. Budo believed their deaths would free the Lights of Orion, which he intended to capture and bring to Capt. Zaihabu.

Medusai laughed mockingly as she scratched her nails across the scroll.

* * *

The teens led Ryouma down an alley, which was a shortcut on their way out of the city. Ryouma could barely stand and had to drape his arms around Hayate and Gouki's shoulders to keep from collapsing. His brow was knitted with pain as sweat dripped down his forehead, and his speech had turned into meaningless, raspy ranting.

"We have to move faster," Saya said. "Whatever's happening to him-"

Ryouma suddenly howled with agony and pushed Gouki and Hayate aside. Without warning, he unsheathed his sword and started hacking at his teammates with mad, wide swings.

"What the- Ryouma!" Hikaru shouted as he ducked and weaved away from the swinging blade.

Ryouma howled with pain and dashed from the alley, his movements staggered, as if seeing through a haze. Pedestrians hesitated at the sight of Ryouma, but it wasn't until he started swinging his blade at random people that they started screaming and running to escape. Ryouma yelled after them, as he teammates rushed from the alley to hold him down.

They shouted his name, tried to get him to calm down while pinning down his arms, but he howled and pushed them aside while swinging his sword widely.

"What's wrong with him?" Gouki asked.

"It was those sharks," Hayate said. "We've got to get him back to Moku."

"Try telling him that," Hikaru said as he ducked beneath a sword swing. "See how well that works. Because he's _clearly_ being reasonable right now."

Their bracers chimed, and Moku spoke to them through their morphers. "Rangers, the Balban Shark Brothers have renewed their attack, just outside the city."

The teens had to scatter to avoid a flurry of aimless swings from Ryouma's sword.

Hayate looked to Hikaru and Saya. "You two go, try to hold off the Shark Brothers as long as you can," he said. "We'll catch up with you after we get Ryouma under control."

"Do you even know _how_ you're going to do that?" Hikaru asked.

"No," Hayate said. "But we can't just let him run free like this. People could get hurt, and he could hurt himself."

Ryouma chopped his blade and followed with a wide arc that Saya had to sidestep to avoid. She reached over and grabbed Hikaru by the wrist. "Come on, Hikaru," she said. "Let them do what they have to."

Saya ran off, her hand still on Hikaru's wrist, and Hikaru reluctantly followed.

* * *

The Shark Brothers hid behind thin shrubbery and waited. The rough terrain was near the shore, where short cliffs and rocky hills surrounded a valley with a small pond. Trees and bushes were scarce, but enough to provide the two Balban warriors with cover.

They looked towards the distance, where they saw Hikaru and Saya running towards them. Onimaru and Yamimaru patiently waited, and when their enemies were close enough, they leapt into the clear.

The Shark Brothers snapped throwing stars at the two rangers, who immediately armed their bracers.

"Galaxy transform!" They morphed into their armor and somersaulted forward across the ground as the throwing blades sparked around them.

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink rolled to their feet, raised their hands to the skies, and shouted: "Shine! Lights of Orion!"

But nothing happened.

Their morphers chimed, and Moku spoke to them through their bracers. "Rangers, all five of you must be together to activate the Lights of Orion."

Galaxy Yellow lifted his morpher to his faceplate. "You're telling us that _now_?"

The Shark Brothers dashed forward and slashed the Rangers across their armor.

* * *

Gouki and Hayate cornered Ryouma in an alley, but being cornered led Ryouma to swing his sword with even more madness. Ryouma screamed and wildly chopped his blade through wide arcs his two friends had to dive to avoid.

Hayate and Gouki rolled into crouched fighting stances and looked up as Ryouma charged towards them while swinging his blade back and forth. "Gouki," Hayate said. "Use your Aasu. Now!"

"Ha!" Hayate and Gouki thrust their palms forward and fired bursts of wind and water that splashed against Ryouma and slammed him back-first against a wall. The back of his head slammed against the brick, and his body toppled forward, hitting the pavement hard.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, his memories flashed back.

_Young Ryouma walked across a path through the Ginga Forrest on his way back home. The boy adjusted the strap over his shoulder, which carried a sack of fruits and apples his mother was going to bake into a pie. His friend Gouki would likely be over to watch- he was fascinated with Ryouma's mother's cooking. _

_Ryouma was lost in thought when gallons of water splashed against the top of his head and tunic. "What the..." _

_He looked up to see two boys scurry from the branches while laughing. Each of them carried an empty bucket, and they leapt onto the trail. The lead boy slung his empty bucket over his shoulder and pointed at Ryouma while laughing. "You're so stupid, Ryouma. An old granny could have heard us coming, but by the time you knew we here, we'd already soaked you!"_

_"And watched you soak your trousers!" the other boy shouted, and they both laughed. _

_Ryouma knitted his brow with anger and rolled his hands into fists. He glared at the two bullies. "How many times have I told you to leave me alone!" He charged at them and held his fists back while shouting a war cry. _

_Before the lead boy could defend himself, Ryouma pounced and tackled the bully to the ground. Young Ryouma leaned forward and smashed his fists against the boy's face until his nose cracked and oozed with blood. The other boy screamed and ran, but Ryouma kept pounding on the lead boy, releasing years of pent-up anger. _

_A hand suddenly grasped Ryouma's wrist to stop the next punch."Ryouma..."_

_Ryouma, his eyes filled with tears, looked to see his older brother Hyuuga. The bully squirmed from the ground and ran off, and Ryouma stood to face his brother. "Hyuuga, they did it again...they keep picking on me and I just...I couldn't take it this time." He lowered his gaze with shame and slowly wiped the blood from his knuckles. "I know I shouldn't have lost my temper, but..." he shook his head. "I just want to go home."_

_Hyuuga laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave a comforting smile. "Ryouma...I understand. You and me...there's a lot of fire inside of us both, little brother. Sometimes it wants to get out so bad it can make the blood boil."_

_Ryouma looked up at his brother and arced an eyebrow. "You...? You never break your calm."_

_"That's because I learned how to focus. You will too," Hyuuga said. "The trick is to control your anger, and not let it control you."_

_"I normally do control it, it's just this one time-"_

_"You normally hold it in," Hyuuga said. "You hold your anger inside until it's ready to burst. Instead, control it."_

_"But how?" Ryouma asked. _

_"Focus," Hyuuga said. "Here...I'll show you..."_

_Hyuuga stood in a wide stance, closed his eyes, and placed his hands together in front of his chest. "Breathe in through the nose..." He took a deep breath. "And out through the mouth..." He exhaled. _

_Ryouma stood in a wide stance, closed his eyes, and placed his hands in front of his chest._

* * *

Budo calmly walked across a wide open field dotted with windmills, which spun slowly in the breeze. The villain was in the area to meet Medusai. He didn't have to wait long. The monster, along with a small group of Yattatoo, fanned out from behind the nearest windmill.

"Medusai..." Budo turned towards her while not showing the slightest bit of concern at the sight of the orange-clad grunts. "Did you deliver my message to our captain?"

Medusai pulled the scroll from behind her back. "You mean this message?" She tossed the scroll to the ground, and it unrolled, revealing the scratched parchment. "You're an idiot, Budo. You're supposed to be a master tactician, and yet you can't even tell when you've been set up. You're a joke!"

"Set up?" Budo asked.

"I took the form of your body to trick your minion Dotorumon into using the Lights on himself," she explained. "With you...disposed of...my mistress will be the one to revive Daitanix. This was her plot all along."

"And did you think..." Budo slowly lowered his hand to the hilt of his sword, "...that I didn't know that?" He unsheathed his blade, and with his free hand, he pulled a second scroll from his robes. "This scroll is etched with a special spell that took note of your every word. Your confession. I will bring this scroll, along with the defeated Gingaman, to our captain to prove my innocence."

"Ha!" Medusai laughed. "You really are an idiot. You think words on a scroll will save you! Yattatoo, kill him!"

The orange-clad grunts armed their curved sabers and charged at Budo to attack. The general stepped back into a defensive stance, and when the grunts pounced at him and swung their blades, he struck. His sword clashed against their blades, parrying their blows, as he swung flurries of strikes that ripped through their bodies with bursts of spark. He spun with grace and easily hacked the soldiers aside. None of the Yattatoo managed to land a bow of their own. Budo, the master swordsman, was too quick.

The last of the grunts fell, and Budo turned to face Medusai while keeping his sword held in a fighting stance.

"Do you think I fear you?" Medusai said. "Your honor makes you weak and stupid. I-"

Budo charged his blade with cyan-tinted energy, swung the sword, and slashed through the monster's body with bursts of spark. Medusai opened her mouth with a silent scream as smoke sizzled from her torn body. The creature reached her hand forward, as if to choke Budo, but she tumbled to the ground as her energy overloaded and exploded.

* * *

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink crashed onto their backs; Onimaru repeatedly stomped on the fallen Yellow Ranger's chest with bursts of spark, and his brother Yamimaru did the same to Galaxy Pink. The two Rangers tried to roll free from the monsters, but each kick pinned them down.

"Ha!" someone shouted from nearby.

The Shark Brothers looked to see Galaxy Red, Galaxy Blue, and Galaxy Green leap through the air. The Green Ranger slammed a flying sidekick against Onimaru to knock the villain backward, and the Blue Ranger smashed a flying double kick against Yamimaru to knock him back.

Onimaru and Yamimaru stumbled but managed to stay standing, while Galaxy Pink and Galaxy Yellow rolled to their feet to regroup with their teammates.

The five Rangers snapped into animal-like fighting stances.

"Ryouma..." Galaxy Pink placed a hand on the Red Ranger's shoulder. "I knew you'd be okay..."

"How..." Onimaru grumbled. "How did you break the mind warp?!"

"No power is greater than the human heart, Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers quickly clawed at the ground and then reached their hands towards the skies. "Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped the Rangers and swept across their armor. Bands of gold, each with an emerald gem, formed over their upper left arms, and clawed fist weapons covered their left forearms and hands. Thick golden bands wrapped around their gauntlets and boots, and golden bucklers, each engraved with a black V, formed on their belts.

They snapped into animal-like fighting stances and held their swords forward, blades pointed up.

"Ha!" Galaxy Red twirled his powered-up sword and swung the blade sideways, which fired a pulse of red light that exploded against the Shark Brothers with sparks and strands of golden energy.

The Shark Brothers collapsed to their knees as smoke sizzled from their armor.

"Gingaman..." a voice said from nearby. The Rangers looked to see Budo walk towards the two Shark Brothers, who were slowly climbing to their feet. "This was not the way it was supposed to be."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Galaxy Red said.

"No, Gingared," Budo said. He unsheathed his sword. "I will not let you rob me of my honor. We will duel. You and I only. No interference."

"General..." Yamimaru stumbled towards his master. "Let us fight together! There's no need-"

"No," Budo said. "This is my fight." Budo raised his sword in a defensive position and faced the Red Ranger. "Come, Gingared."

The Red Ranger held his sword forward, shouted an animal-like war cry, and dashed towards Budo. Their blades clashed as they passed each other, and they turned and swung their swords, clanging their blades together. They pushed their swords together hard and turned, each trying to gain the upper hand. At once, they pushed off, separating from one another and gaining distance.

They stood in fighting stances and faced each other, and they each started running sideways, never taking their eyes off of one another. Budo was the first to skid to a halt, near the edge of a short cliff, and Galaxy Red followed. They leapt at each other so fast they appeared as blurs of motion as they clashed and moved to the base of the cliff.

They landed, and they clashed their blades together. Galaxy Red twisted his sword to slap Budo's blade aside, and he sidestepped to swing a wide arc that Budo dodged. The villain spun and swung a blow that Galaxy Red parried, and the Red Ranger countered with a flurry of swings of his own that Budo had to continually step backward to block.

Budo parried a pair of strikes and went back on the offensive, clashing his sword against the Red Ranger's Seijuukin. Their blades clanged together, and they pushed hard, metal against metal, before pushing off and gaining distance once again.

"Haaaa...!" Galaxy Red stepped back and swung his sword through a slow, elegant arc as the fire of his own energy erupted around him, covering the small area with flame. He brought his blade down- parallel to his body, held outward- and he extended the claws of his fist weapon.

Budo dashed forward and chopped his blade towards the Red Ranger's head, but Galaxy Red parried the blow and dashed past Budo while slashing the villain across the chest with a burst of spark. The Red Ranger turned and swung a pair of strikes- the first slashed across Budo with a burst of spark, but the villain used his blade to block the second.

Twisting his sword, Budo slapped the Seijuukin aside and slashed the Red Ranger twice with bursts of spark that knocked him back a step.

Budo energized his sword with pulsing blue power and chopped the blade towards Galaxy Red, but the Red Ranger used his claw to grab the blade and twist it downward, and he used his free elbow to shatter the blade in two.

The villain stumbled backward, in shock as he looked at his shattered sword.

Galaxy Red swung his sword through an intricate arc as the blade energized with fiery, golden power. The same energy pulsed along the claws of his fist weapon as he held his arms wide. "Mane of Flame!"

He swung his blade and fist weapon inward with an x-shaped pattern that streaked across Budo with massive bursts of spark that knocked him off his feet.

Budo crashed to his knees while holding his broken sword in hand. Smoke sizzling from his armor, he slowly climbed to his feet, barely able to stand, but determined none the less.

"Our fight..." his voice was as strained as his movement as he stepped, slowly, towards the Red Ranger. Each wobbling step was shorter and weaker than the last. "Is not over..."

Budo chopped his broken blade towards the Red Ranger. Galaxy Red parried the blow and slashed his blade downward with a single strike that ripped through Budo's body with massive bursts of spark. Budo's arms went wide as smoke sizzled from his wounds, and his broken sword dropped from his hand as he fell backward, his energy overloading and exploding.

"General!" the Shark Brothers shouted.

The monsters didn't hesitate. They immediately pulled vials of the Balban growth elixir from their armor and drank deeply. The elixir coursed through their veins as the two monsters grew giant.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The five giant Seijuu appeared, and the Rangers leapt onto their companions. Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies. "Zord transform!"

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits. "Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward- their bodies shifting and changing- and combined into one armored warrior. A golden-hilted, double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand. "GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

The emerald gem on Galaxy Red's upper-arm band pulsed with golden power that illuminated the cockpit. The light was nearly bright enough to blind the Red Ranger's vision. "What..."

Light from each Ranger enveloped the entire Megazord, which transformed into a suit of armor. A triangular shield of golden-trimmed, white armor plating formed over the Megazord's chest. A golden trident of spikes extended from the helmet of the Megazord. Golden spikes extended from the hilt of the Megazord saber to cover half the length of the blade. The two spikes were parallel to the edges of the sword.

"The Lights..." Galaxy Red said. "They've powered up the Megazord!"

Yamimaru wasted no time charging at the powered-up Megazord. And the Rangers wasted no time taking him out.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Blazing Slash!"

GalaxyMegazord held its sword back, and golden energy washed along the blade until the entire saber pulsed with light. Gingaiou chopped the sword through a streak of energy that slashed through Yamimaru and tore a gaping hole through the villain's body. The shark monster tumbled backward as his energy overloaded and exploded.

The second Shark Brother leapt at the Megazord from behind. GalaxyMegazord turned, ignited its saber, and slashed the blade across the monster, tearing him in two. The two halves of the final shark monster overloaded and exploded.

* * *

Bukarates waddled into his niece's chambers and parted the hanging veils that concealed her. Iresia was sitting on her mattress and looking at a crystal ball held in her right hand. "My niece..."

"I know," she said, never taking her eyes from the crystal sphere in her hand. "Budo is out of my way. His fish minions are dead. I saw the battle. Very amusing." She laughed quietly, an eerie sound that echoed inside the room. "He's had that coming for a long time..."

* * *

The rangers returned to the ranch following the battle. Hayate and Hikaru were speaking to Moku with Ryuuta, Gouki had gone into the house to cook, and Ryouma went to the stables to groom his horse.

Ryouma brushed back and forth across the animal's coat while Saya walked up behind him. "Ryouma...what are you doing out here? I thought you'd be with Moku."

"I needed some time to think..." he said.

"Are you feeling...normal?" Saya asked.

Ryouma nodded. "Yeah. That was scary though, losing control like that. I still remember everything."

"How did you manage to break free?" she asked.

He stopped brushing. "I know it sounds crazy...but it was Hyuuga. Somehow...somehow, at least a part of him is still alive somewhere. And he helped me."

**To be continued...**


	14. Black Knight's Determination

**Black Knight's Determination**

KuroKishi stood on a mountaintop and looked out upon Stone Canyon. The Lights of Orion were lost to him. The Galaxy Rangers had taken his best chance at defeating the Balban. Now he would have to resort to more drastic means.

_Zika…_he thought of his little brother. His mind flashed back…

* * *

_**The planet Tauren**_

_**3,000 years ago**_

_Yattatoo swarmed across the darkened streets of the planet's capital city, which burned. The Balban generals led their forces across the streets, while their monsters stormed through the alleyways. They looted everything in sight. _

_KuroKishi Bull Black landed on the street while crashing his fist against the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the grunts and monsters backward. He unsheathed his sword and turned towards the Balban generals. _

"_I am the defender of this planet," Black Knight said with a voice like gravel. "Leave now, or be destroyed."_

_Capt. Zaihabu laughed as he stepped out from the ranks of his men. The villain carried a curved broadsword. "We've been expecting you, Bull Black. We heard legends of the great Magna Defender as far away as the Rigel Expanse."_

"_Not all the legends are true," the Black Knight said. "Some underestimate my power."_

"_Ha!" Capt. Zaihabu laughed. "I respect your confidence, Black Knight."_

_A child screamed from the ranks of the Balban. Sanbashu laughed as he dragged the boy towards Zaihabu. "Look who thought he could join the fight!"_

_The boy wore dark armor similar to KuroKishi's. The armor was the same that Bull Black had worn when he was a boy. _

"_Zika…" Bull Black whispered. _

"_Your little brother," Capt. Zaihabu said as he grabbed the boy. "As I said, we've been expecting you."_

_Zika must have donned the armor to fight the Balban, Black Knight realized. Zika showed great bravery at such a young age. He would not have stayed behind while the Balban destroyed his world. _

"_Let the boy go, Balban," Black Knight ordered. _

"_OK." Capt. Zaihabu let go of the boy, and then slashed his blade through the child with a burst of spark. _

_Zika screamed and fell back, a small dagger dropping from his hand. _

"_Zika!" KuroKishi shouted as he ran to his fallen brother's side. _

* * *

KuroKishi clutched the dagger of his fallen brother. _Zika…I will avenge you, and our world…_

Pain suddenly shot through the Black Knight's body, forcing him to his knees. He clutched his injured chest and breathed heavily.

"_KuroKishi,"_ a voice said from inside his own mind. _"Don't give into your hate…it's consuming you…I can feel it…"_

"You are stubborn…" the Black Knight gripped the handle of his brother's dagger. The dagger pulsed with yellow energy, and the Black Knight thrust the weapon into his own chest.

The stab released the pain, and KuroKishi breathed a sigh of relief. "There…now stay quiet, and we both might live to see the Balban destroyed."

KuroKishi rose back to his feet and looked towards Stone Canyon. A part of him was sad the city would have to die.

* * *

A frozen, stone Yattatoo stood on the deck of the Balban ship. Iresia sat in a meditative pose behind the grunt as her uncle Bukarates stood nearby. Capt. Zaihabu watched impatiently while tapping his blade against his palm.

"Is there a point to this?" the captain asked.

"Yes, captain," Bukarates waddled closer to the stone grunt. "This Yattatoo is frozen in stone, much like Daitanix.

"I can see that clearly," Zaihabu said as he traced his fingers along the edge of his blade.

"Yes…well…" the villain looked to his niece. "Iresia?"

"He is ready," the sorceress said. "Come, Wanga-Wanga."

The tiki-themed monster named Wanga-Wanga walked onto the deck while carrying a spear. The villain moved oddly, as if dancing to unheard drumbeats.

Twirling its staff, the creature stepped forward and thrust its blade towards the stone Yattatoo. The spear-tip pulsed with yellow energy and plunged into the grunt. The grunt's body flashed, returned to normal, and collapsed to the ground.

The Yattatoo shook its head, scrambled to its feet, and ran off the deck.

Capt. Zaihabu grunted with approval. "Impressive…"

"He will need more energy to awaken Daitanix," Iresia explained. "But it can be done. This, I promise you."

"You're not the first general who's made such a promise," Zaihabu said. "Fail me, and you'll wind up dead like them."

* * *

Iresia sent Wanga-Wanga into Stone Canyon to gather his strength. The villain fed off violent emotional energy.

Wanga-Wanga dashed into a park and hid beneath a pedestrian bridge. He waited, and eventually, two boys passed by while arguing. One of the boys pushed the other, and the other boy pushed back.

The monster darted out from underneath the pedestrian bridge and attacked the two boys faster than they could shout. His spear glowed with yellow energy and plunged into one body, and then the other, sapping away their anger.

The boys collapsed, alive, but unconscious and weak from the emotional drain.

Wanga dashed off to find its next victims.

* * *

Moku's eyes snapped open. He sensed the Balban's attack and warned the Rangers. "Balban!"

* * *

Wanga-Wanga moved into the streets. He speared down dozens of people as they screamed and tried to flee. The monster twirled his staff, the tip glowing yellow, and plunged the weapon into every victim within reach. A trail of unconscious victims followed in his path.

Wanga-Wanga twirled his spear to strike his next victim.

Blasts suddenly sparked against the spear and nearly knocked the weapon from the monster's hands. Wanga-Wanga hissed and turned to face his attackers, the Galaxy Rangers.

"Stop, Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and his teammates ran to the scene while hunched over in animal-like stances.

"Stop?!" The monster shouted with annoyance. "I just started! Yattatoo!"

The orange-clad grunts leapt through the air and attacked the Rangers. The lead Yattatoo chopped a sword towards Galaxy Red's head, but the Red Ranger caught the grunt by the wrist and flipped the soldier to the ground. A second soldier moved in behind Galaxy Red, but the Red Ranger knocked the soldier's blade aside and smashed a sidekick against the grunt's chest.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Green snapped a series of low sweep-kicks that knocked several grunts off their feet. He flipped, drop kicked a soldier's sword to the ground, and used his foot to pin the blade down. The Green Ranger struck the grunt's face like a hawk clawing its prey.

Nearby, grunts swarmed around Galaxy Blue. He blocked a sword and sidekicked the grunt in the chest. Another soldier swung a sword towards Galaxy Blue, but the Ranger blocked the blow, grabbed the soldier by the head, and flipped the grunt to the ground. Two remaining grunts closed in at his sides. One chopped a sword towards the Blue Ranger, but he blocked the blow and slammed an elbow against the soldier's chest. He slammed his other elbow against the last grunt's chest, grabbed the soldier by the wrist, and flipped the grunt to the ground.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Pink somersaulted through the air and kicked a grunt to the ground. Galaxy Yellow was nearby. He spun low with a sweep-kick that knocked a grunt aside, then he snapped a foot up to bash a grunt against the head.

Wanga eyed the Yellow Ranger and charged forward to attack.

Galaxy Yellow knocked the last grunt aside, spotted the monster charging forward, and somersaulted over the swing of the villain's spear. The Yellow Ranger landed, and Wanga pushed forward with a spear strike the Yellow Ranger couldn't avoid. The spear slashed across the Ranger's chest with a burst of spark that whipped his body backward.

Wanga-Wanga leapt onto a pedestrian bridge and fled before the Rangers could follow.

* * *

Ryouma leaned down next to an unconscious girl. "They're all alive…" he said. "They're just not moving."

Hayate nodded in agreement. "That creature's attacks must have drained their life force somehow."

The ground suddenly shook, nearly knocking the teens onto the ground. Moku's voice spoke through their bracers.

"Rangers," he said. "We have a new problem. Bull Black is unleashing the fury of a volcano. If he's not stopped, the city, and the entire west coast, will be destroyed."

"Black Knight's completely lost it," Hikaru said. "I saw that coming, but won't say 'I told you so'."

"Come on, let's head to the mountains," Ryouma said as he ran off.

The others followed.

* * *

BullTaurus, the combined form of Black Knight and his zord, swung his staff while standing on the crater of a volcano. The zord's staff energized with jade-tinted energy that crackled downward, plunging into the crater. The energy blast intensified the volcanic rage. Fire and lava spewed from the mountain.

"Stop!" an amplified voice shouted from behind.

The GalaxyMegazord. Gingaiou, stomped onto the scene.

"KuroKishi!" Galaxy Red shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"Rangers," Moku spoke through their bracers. "KuroKishi has created an artificial volcano. He plans to ignite the volcano, which will produce enough force to collapse the western shoreline, destroying the Balban in the process."

"That's overkill," Galaxy Yellow said.

"All those people…" Galaxy Red said. "Stop, KuroKishi!"

GalaxyMegazord stomped forward and grabbed BullTaurus by the shoulder, pulling the zord backward.

"Stay back, Rangers," BullTaurus said. "This has to be done."

BullTaurus knocked the Megazord's hands away. The Black Knight slashed his staff across Gingaiou with bursts of spark, knocking the Megazord back several steps.

Below, Wanga-Wanga ran towards the mountains. The strength of Black Knight's rage ebbed with so much power, that the monster had felt the Knight's anger from as far as the city.

BullTaurus twirled his staff, which surged with green-tinted energy. He swung the staff downward, and tendrils of energy lashed out into the volcano.

GoTaurus whined with protest, knocking BullTaurus back a step while clutching his chest. "What…my Taurozord, you can't…"

BullTaurus crackled with energy. GoTaurus forcibly powered down the combination, hurling Bull Black downward. The Taurozord reverted back to its bull form, and the Black Knight crashed onto the mountain below.

Bull Black pushed himself to his feet as steam sizzled from his armor. "GoTaurus…why?"

The Taurozord looked down at its master and whined with protest.

"No…" the Black Knight said. "Our enemies must fall. This is the only way…"

GoTaurus whined with disapproval, turned, and stomped away.

"Taurozord!" Bull Black shouted.

The Black Knight was too distracted to notice Wanga-Wanga dash through a blur of motion from behind. The monster lunged forward and plunged its staff into KuroKishi's back with a burst of spark. The monster pushed the staff deeper, driving the Black Knight to his knees.

The Galaxy Rangers leapt down from their zords and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

"KuroKishi!" Galaxy Red shouted as he and the other Rangers leaned forward and charged towards the monster.

Keeping one hand on his spear, Wanga-Wanga armed a volley of feather darts he snapped at the Rangers.

The feather darts exploded around the Rangers with bursts of spark. But they continued their advance.

Galaxy Red leapt into the air and armed his sword. "Seijuukin!"

The Red Ranger landed while chopping his blade across the monster with a burst of spark, whipping the creature backward. The monster crashed against the ground and tumbled across the dirt.

The other four Rangers regrouped around Galaxy Red, standing between the monster and KuroKishi.

Wanga-Wanga pushed himself back to his feet and lifted his fallen spear. "Bah!" he shouted. "That was the most delicious taste of bitterness and anger! I was just getting started!"

Galaxy Green looked over his shoulder to Galaxy Red. "Ryouma, you should get the Black Knight to safety. We'll buy you some time."

"Right," Galaxy Red said.

The Red Ranger lifted KuroKishi by the arm and ran off, carrying the Magna Defender to safety.

Galaxy Green and Galaxy Yellow charged at the monster with roundkicks that the monster used his staff to block.

* * *

Galaxy Red ran across the rocky terrain while carrying along KuroKishi, who stumbled with weakness. A group of Yattatoo followed the Red Ranger and Black Knight with swords drawn.

Galaxy Red couldn't outrun the grunts because of the weight of the Black Knight. The soldiers swarmed in too close.

Galaxy Red set Black Knight aside and immediately charged through the Yattatoo. He pushed through their ranks while parrying their swords and slashing through their bodies with bursts of spark.

Two grunts swung their blades at Galaxy Red's head. The Red Ranger used his sword to block the blows, swat the soldiers' swords aside, and cut them down one-by-one.

A grunt slipped past Galaxy Red and swung its blade towards Bull Black. Galaxy Red stepped in and slashed his sword against the soldier's blade, then twisted the weapon downward.

A second grunt slashed towards Galaxy Red's head. The Red Ranger swung his arm to block the blow, and the blade cut against his forearm with a burst of spark.

The Ranger pushed the two soldiers back, parried their swords aside, and slashed them down with a pair of diagonal sword chops.

"Red Ranger…" Bull Black said with annoyance. "Leave me be…You're a fool for trying to save me."

Galaxy Red parried the last grunt's sword. He slashed downward with a strong swing that ripped across the grunt with bursts of spark. The grunt collapsed to the ground, landing alongside its fallen comrades.

"Don't call me a fool," Galaxy Red said. "I'm just doing what's right…"

"Hmph." Bull Black stumbled to his feet. "You should want me dead. After all…it's the only way to free your brother."

"…What?" Galaxy Red turned slowly to face the Black Knight. "What are you talking about…?"

"I followed the Balban to Earth 3,000 years ago," KuroKishi said. "I brought the Lights of Orion here, to destroy the pirates. But Sanbashu defeated me, and I fell into a crevice. There, for 3,000 years, I lingered between life and death. Until the crevice opened. And your brother fell through."

The Black Knight had hurled his sword just in time to cut through Hyuuga's tunic and pin him to the wall, to keep him from crashing.

"I merged with him, using his Aasu to revitalize my own Life Force," KuroKishi explained.

"It can't be," Galaxy Red said. "That's not possible…"

"It is…so you should want to defeat me, Ranger. You should want me dead."

KuroKishi unsheathed his sword, stumbled forward, and swung his blade towards Galaxy Red.

The Red Ranger dodged the blow and snapped into a fighting stance.

KuroKishi lifted his blade, but could barely stand.

Galaxy Red lowered his guard at the sight of the weakened Black Knight. The Red Ranger sheathed his blade.

"I'm not going to fight you," he said.

"You fool…" KuroKishi said. "If you don't defeat me, you will never see your brother again."

"I'm not going to kill you," Galaxy Red said. "And if Hyuuga's really a part of you now, you understand why."

Galaxy Red turned and ran off to rejoin his teammates. He hesitated as he thought of his brother. "Hyuuga…"

The Red Ranger kept running.

KuroKishi collapsed onto all fours, barely able to hold up his head and watch the Red Ranger run off. His thoughts drifted to the brother he lost so long ago. "Zika…"

* * *

Wanga-Wanga charged through the four Rangers and twirled his staff. He slashed aside Galaxy Yellow, speared down Galaxy Blue, cut across Galaxy Green and slashed across Galaxy Pink with a burst of spark.

Galaxy Green rolled into a crouched stance and pounced through the air towards the monster. Wanga-Wanga slashed the Green Ranger from the air with a burst of spark, and Galaxy Green crashed against the ground.

Galaxy Red suddenly ran onto the scene, hunched over in his animal-like pose. The Red Ranger leapt upward, somersaulted through the air, and landed while slashing his blade across Wanga-Wanga in an x-shaped pattern. The blade sparked on impact and knocked the monster back several steps.

Galaxy Red pushed forward and speared his blade against the monster with a burst of spark. The blow hurled the monster off its feet.

The five Rangers regrouped. They quickly clawed at the ground and then reached their hands towards the skies. "Shine! Lights of Orion!"

Golden energy enveloped the Rangers and swept across their armor. Bands of gold, each with an emerald gem, formed over their upper left arms. Clawed fist weapons covered their left forearms and hands. Thick golden bands wrapped around their gauntlets and boots. And golden bucklers, each engraved with a black V, formed on their belts.

They snapped into animal-like fighting stances and held their swords forward, blades pointed up.

Wanga-Wanga held his staff forward and charged at the Rangers.

The Rangers returned the charge.

"Power up mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Wanga-Wanga. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the villain as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Secondary explosions ripped across Wanga-Wanga as he collapsed to the ground. He would have died but managed to take a swig of the Balban growth elixir. The potion poured through the monster's veins and caused him to expand and grow giant.

The Rangers looked up to face their revitalized enemy.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The five giant Seijuu appeared, and the Rangers leapt onto their companions. Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies. "Zord transform!"

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits. "Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward—their bodies shifting and changing—and combined into one armored warrior. A golden-hilted, double-edged sword appeared in the warrior's hand. "GalaxyMegazord!" Galaxy Red shouted once the fusion was complete. "Gingaiou!"

Galaxy Red called upon the Lights of Orion. "Shine! Gingaiou!"

The Lights of Orion enveloped the Megazord in golden light, which hardened and transformed into armor.

The Balban monster charged at the Megazord and swung its staff, which the GalaxyMegazord dodged. Wanga-Wanga turned and swung its staff again. Gingaiou blocked the blow and bashed a kick against the monster.

The creature stumbled but stayed on its feet.

GalaxyMegazord pushed forward to attack with a punch. But the monster caught the punch in its jaws and bit down hard, sparking against the Megazord's armor.

Gingaiou swung its arm free while hurling the monster aside.

Wanga-Wanga crashed near the rim of the volcano and climbed slowly to its feet. The monster lifted its mystical spear and spun the weapon into a savage fighting stance.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Blazing Slash!"

GalaxyMegazord held its sword back. Golden energy washed across the blade until the entire saber pulsed with light. Gingaiou chopped the sword through a streak of energy that slashed through Wanga-Wanga and tore a gaping gash through the villain's body. The monster tumbled backward as his energy overloaded and exploded.

The explosion hurled the spear from the monster's hands, and the spear plunged into the volcano. The weapon pulsed with blinding-white energy that shook the volcano, and the entire mountainside.

The massive quakes nearly knocked the GalaxyMegazord off its feet.

"What the…" Galaxy Red started to say.

"Rangers," Moku spoke through their bracers. "The monster's weapon is destabilizing the volcano. If it erupts, it will destroy the entire city!"

"We've got to stop that spear," Galaxy Green said.

The Rangers leapt from their Megazord and landed near the base of the volcano and ran upward. They moved quickly while hunched over in animal-like stances. A wave of power suddenly rushed from the volcano and flowed down the mountain, bashing the Rangers off their feet.

"Gingaman," Moku said through their bracers. "The energy is growing more unstable. You won't be able to make it to the spear and survive."

"We have to try," Galaxy Red said.

Another energy wave flowed from the volcano like a wall of flame and bashed the Rangers with massive bursts of spark. The impact hurled them off their feet and knocked them out of their armor with flashes of light. They crashed against the ground, worn and battered.

* * *

Nearby, Bull Black stumbled across the mountainside. His strength weakened with his every step. His armor sizzled from webs of cracks.

"Not like this…" he muttered. "Not like this…"

"Brother…" a child's voice whispered from behind.

KuroKishi turned to see the translucent image of Zika staring up at him.

"Zika?" Bull Black asked with longing. He didn't know if he was hallucinating, and he didn't care. He saw his brother. That was all that mattered. "Zika, it's you…"

"Brother, don't do this to yourself," Zika said. "Don't become what you've always hated."

"What I've…What I've always hated?" Bull Black asked.

"Evil," Zika said. "Sunken into despair. Careless of life. Save yourself, brother. There's still time…"

The image faded slowly into nothingness. "Zika!" Bull Black lunged and collapsed to the ground where his little brother had stood.

He saw a single white flower growing from the cracked earth. The Black Knight plucked the flower and whispered his brother's name, again and again. "Zika…I will not fail you."

Bull Black lifted himself to his feet and pulled his brother's dagger from his chest with a burst of yellow energy. An orb of energy flowed from his chest and landed behind a boulder. The orb shaped into a human form. The form of Hyuuga.

The Black Knight's armor cracked deeper, webbing across his chest piece, back, gauntlets and legs. The green emblem on his chest nearly shattered.

He groaned and stumbled up the mountainside.

* * *

Ryouma pushed himself to his feet despite the crippling pain that shot through his body. "Come on…" he said to his teammates. "We have to do something."

"No, Rangers," a voice said from nearby. The teens turned to see Bull Black walk towards them.

The Black Knight hurled his sword, and the blade speared into the mountainside next to the rangers. The sword emitted a shield of mystic energy that surrounded the rangers, imprisoning them.

"I will handle this," he said as he moved farther up the mountainside.

"KuroKishi! Wait!" Ryouma shouted. "You can't."

"Don't worry about your brother," the Black Knight said over his shoulder as he staggered upward.

A wave of energy flowed from the volcano and tore across Bull Black with bursts of spark. The energy wave splashed harmlessly across the mystical shield protecting the five rangers.

Intense heat poured down the mountainside, which ebbed as if ready to explode. The Black Knight fought against the heat, step by step, as explosions sparked against his armor. He fought for every inch he gained. He moved forward with determination, while clutching onto the white flower.

He knew each step brought him closer to death. He staggered more and more with each movement as his armor pealed from his body.

But in his mind he walked peacefully with his brother at his side, hand-in-hand, both holding onto the white flower. The memory flooded the Black Knight with warmth and love that overshadowed even the most intense sensations of pain.

"I knew you could do it, brother," Zika said.

"Thank you Zika," Bull Black said. "For showing me the way."

KuroKishi made it to the rim of the volcano through sheer force of will, and through the memory of his brother. He held the flower tightly and closed his eyes beneath his helmet.

The Black Knight's body collapsed into a sphere of purple-tinted, black light that shot into the volcano. The black light exploded against the spear with a massive burst of fiery energy. The blast vaporized the sphere with a fiery shockwave.

The shockwave poured down the mountainside and splashed across the energy shield that protected the rangers.

The energy shield dissipated, and the Black Knight's sword fell.

Ryouma opened his eyes wide with horror. "No…" he said as he shook his head. "He can't be…"

"He saved us," Saya said. "He saved the whole city."

"But he can't be dead," Ryouma said. "Hyuuga…he can't be dead."

"Ryouma…" a weak voice said from behind.

Ryouma recognized the voice immediately. He turned slowly, almost afraid to look. Then he saw him. Hyuuga.

Hyuuga slowly walked up the mountainside. He looked weak—dirty and exhausted. But he was alive. Hyuuga was alive.

He smiled. "Ryouma…"

Ryouma started to say his brother's name. But his voice caught in his throat. He resisted the urge to break into tears. He walked to his brother, slowly at first, step by step, until the next thing he knew, he was running into his big brother's embrace.

He hugged Hyuuga, tightly, and closed his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You're alive…How?" Ryouma asked.

"KuroKishi," Hyuuga said. "He released me, before he sacrificed himself."

"Hyuuga…" Saya whispered. "Hyuuga!"

The other rangers joined Ryouma in hugging Hyuuga. They laughed and cried tears of joy.

"The Black Knight," Hikaru said as he sniffed back a tear. "That bastard saved you. He actually did the right thing. In the end…"

"He was always good," Hyuuga said. "Just…tortured."

He looked to the Black Knight's sword. Hyuuga walked to the weapon and lifted the blade from the ground. "He rose free from that despair in the end. We can't ever forget that."

Hyuuga gripped tightly onto the sword's handle. The blade pulsed slightly with the faintest hint of recognition.

**To be continued…**


	15. A Story of Legend

**A Story of Legend**

_**From the children's picture book "Legendary Forrest"**_

_**Written and illustrated by Haruhiko Aoyama**_

_And so, the warrior Hyuuga returned to his comrades. The rangers introduced him to Moku, young Ryuuta, and his father Mr. Aoyama. These friends joined the rangers in their joy. For nothing warms the heart like the return of a friend thought lost. _

_Ryouma felt happiest of them all, having reunited with his brother. But he knew that with Hyuuga's return, he could no longer carry the sword of the Red Ranger. He knew he would need to return the blade to Hyuuga, its rightful owner. As joyous as he felt to have his brother back, he did not wish to part with the mystical weapon. _

* * *

The Balban monster Geltskull managed to capture Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Green. Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink within small mirrors. These mirrors contained miniature pocket dimensions that kept the Rangers trapped.

The monster escaped before Ryouma or Hyuuga could stop him. Ryouma blamed himself for letting the monster go, but Hyuuga assured him everything would be OK. Ryouma doubted how, until Hyuuga explained he placed an acorn on the monster before it escaped. Moku would be able to use his mystical connection to trees and nature to track the acorn.

Ryouma felt ashamed for almost panicking, and he admired his older brother's steady calm and quick thinking. It pained him to think so, but he knew his older brother deserved to carry the mantle of Galaxy Red as fate intended.

The two brothers ran to a warehouse district, where Moku sensed the acorn taken from his branches.

"This way," Hyuuga said as they ran into a dark warehouse.

The shadows ahead of them suddenly shifted, and a cloaked figure stepped from the darkness. The attacker wore dark robes, a green scarf, and a hood over its skull-like head. Geltskull created four Skull Reapers by using the energy of the captured Rangers. This Skull Reaper contained energy siphoned from Galaxy Green.

The creature armed a scythe and charged to attack the brothers.

Ryouma and Hyuuga immediately split and defended themselves. They dodged the swings of the massive scythe and moved in close with a flurry of punches and kicks. Hyuuga moved with extreme precision; he wasted no movement. Ryouma knew these were the moves of a leader.

The Skull Reaper bashed the handle of its weapon across Ryouma's head. The blow whipped the ranger off his feet.

"Ryouma!" Hyuuga shouted as he kicked the creature back.

Ryouma rose and armed his sword. "Seijuukin!"

He leapt forward, hopped off his brother's shoulders, and somersaulted through the air while bringing his blade down through the Skull Reaper. The blade tore through the creature like a knife through cloth, and the Reaper collapsed into a pile of rags and bone.

Hyuuga clasped his brother on the shoulder. "Good work. But that slowed us down. Let's keep moving."

They turned and ran through the warehouse. They exited through the other side and moved into an alley within the industrial park.

Suddenly, a white-scarfed Skull Reaper leapt from the rooftops and chopped its blade towards the brothers. They dove and rolled aside to avoid the blow.

Ryouma rolled to his feet and swung his blade at the creature. The Skull Reaper blocked the blow, and the opponents pressed their weapons together, each trying to gain the advantage.

Hyuuga grabbed the Skull Reaper from behind and hurled the creature off its feet.

Skull Reaper crashed against the ground and pushed itself back up just as Hyuuga lunged forward with a jumpkick. The Reaper blocked the blow and whacked its staff across the warrior's head, whipping him through the air.

"Hyuuga!" Ryouma shouted as he ran to his brother's side.

The Reaper used its scythe to hurl a yellow energy blade at the brothers.

"Ha!" Ryouma thrust his hands forward and hurled a pulse of fire.

The energy blade and fire blast exploded with a shockwave that knocked the sword from Ryouma's hands, and knocked the Reaper to the ground. The monster crumbled into a pile of rags and bone.

Hyuuga pushed himself to his feet. He spotted the Seijuukin on the ground and lifted the sword to hand it to Hyuuga. "Here…" he said as he looked towards the rooftops. "We have to assume there will be more of them."

Ryouma looked at his brother holding the sword. Hyuuga seemed like he was meant to carry the blade — and he was. But at the same time, Ryouma couldn't bear to part with the weapon. He fought as Galaxy Red against the Balban, and he wanted to continue the fight until its end.

"Hyuuga…" Ryouma said reluctantly. "About what I tried to tell you earlier…"

Hyuuga looked to the blade. "The Seijuukin…you want me to keep it."

"I thought that's what I wanted," Ryouma said. "I watched you fight today and saw everything about you that made you worthy of that sword. But now…" He looked to his older brother with strong determination. "If I keep the sword, will you let me fight?"

Hyuuga tilted his head ever so slightly with surprise.

"I never thought this way this before," Ryouma said. "But now…Now I'll say it. I want to fight. As a Ranger. I want to defeat the Balban."

Hyuuga looked to the sword and said nothing. He thought of the battles he'd witness through the eyes of KuroKishi. He remembered his little brother's battles against the army of Budo.

Behind Hyuuga, the Skull Reaper pulled itself together, lifted its scythe, and charged towards the warrior from behind.

"Hyuuga, look out!" Ryouma shouted.

Hyuuga snapped around and returned the enemy's charge. He parried the scythe and swung the Seijuukin through a streak of fiery energy that tore the creature to pieces. The Skull Reaper crumbled and dissipated into dust.

The warrior turned and held the horizontally at chest level.

"This is the last time I use this sword," Hyuuga said. "You've grown, Ryouma. If you would have told me to take the sword back, I would have. But…you're not my replacement anymore."

Hyuuga held the blade towards his brother. "It's yours. _You_ _are_ Galaxy Red."

Ryouma looked to the sword he had used to fight and defeat the armies of Sanbashu and Budo. He reached forward and grabbed the weapon.

Hyuuga nodded, and Ryouma nodded back, a silent promise.

The brothers ran off to save their friends. Hyuuga let Ryouma inch slightly ahead to lead the way.

* * *

Geltskull stood on the outer rim of a demonic symbol etched across a warehouse floor. He whispered an incantation while facing a pillar in the center of the symbol. The pillar held 36 mirrors with captives inside, including the five kidnapped Galaxy Rangers. He used their life force as part of a ceremony to channel energy to the sleeping Balban ship, Daitanix.

A group of Yattatoo stood watch nearby.

Suddenly, two Skull Reapers shot through piles of crates and tumbled across the ground. The villains fell apart into piles of rag and bone as Ryouma and Hyuuga landed nearby.

The Balban monster glared at the brothers. "You bastards. Look what you've done to my beautiful puppets…"

Geltskull reached for his shield. But Ryouma and Hyuuga each thrust their palms forward and shouted: "Mane of flame!"

Streams of fire shot through the warehouse and exploded with a massive shockwave that hurled the Balban monster and grunts through the windows. They flailed through the air and crashed against the pavement outside the warehouse.

The impact shattered the mirror in the monster's shield, which released the captives of the mirrors inside, including Gouki, Hayate, Hikaru and Saya.

"Guys…" Ryouma shouted as he and Hyuuga ran to their teammates. "Are you guys okay?"

"Ryouma…" Saya said with relief.

Hikaru smiled. "We knew you'd get us out of those things."

Gouki noticed the sword in Ryouma's hands. "Your Seijuukin."

Ryouma gripped the sword tightly and nodded.

* * *

Geltskull lifted his shield and inspected the shattered mirror.

"Ha!" a voice shouted from above.

Geltskull looked up to see the five rangers leap from the warehouse windows and land on the pavement. The villain glared at his enemies. "How dare you break my mystic circle?"

The rangers armed their braces.

"Galaxy transform!" They turned the dials on their morphers. "Ha!" They slapped their morphers' activation panels, triggering columns of elemental energy that circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

They snapped into fighting stances.

"Galaxy Red, Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green, Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue, Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow, Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink, Saya!"

Galaxy Red shouted: "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy! Star Beast Task Force!" Together, they called out: "Galaxy Rangers!"

"Break!" Galaxy Red shouted as they leapt through the air to attack.

Galaxy Red landed while chopping through two grunts. His blade sparked through their bodies and whipped them aside. He turned, parried a sword, and slashed a third grunt to the ground.

Galaxy Blue pressed through a group of Yattatoo while hacking them aside with long, powerful swings. His sword sparked through each grunt that his blade hurled aside.

Galaxy Yellow dove beneath a sword swing, rose to his feet, and swung his saber through a series of strikes that sparked through three grunts that surrounded him. He parried a fourth grunt's sword, twisted his grip, and slashed the soldier to the ground.

Galaxy Pink leaned forward to back kick a Yattatoo. He carried her blade in a backhand grip as he parried a flurry of swings from several Yattatoo. She countered with diagonal swings of her own, which sparked through grunts and whipped them off their feet.

Galaxy Green moved in low and sweep kicked a grunt's legs from the ground. The Ranger rose to full height, armed his sword with a backhand grip, and twirled the weapon to hack aside a pair of grunts with bursts of spark.

Nearby, Hyuuga dealt with a trio of grunts that charged towards him. He dodges two sword swings and jump kicked a grunt upside the head.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Red crouched in an animal-like fighting stance and charged towards Geltskull. The monster armed a broadsword, and the opponents' blades clashed. They dueled — parry, thrust, counter — as the clangs of their swords echoed through the air.

Galaxy Red hopped over a low slash, ducked under a high slash, and chopped at the monster. The monster blocked the sword, and their blades locked. The opponents managed to pull away while slashing each other's chests with bursts of spark.

The impact knocked them both backward. Geltskull tumbled across the ground. And Galaxy Red rolled to his feet as his teammates regrouped around him.

The Rangers quickly clawed at the ground and then reached their hands towards the skies.

"Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped them as they morphed into their powered-up armor.

Geltskull charged at the Rangers with his sword held forward. And the Rangers leaned forward in animal-like postures as they dashed towards the monster. They held their swords forward, blades pointed upward.

"Power up mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Geltskull. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the villain as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Secondary explosions tore through the monster as he quickly drank from his vile of Balban elixir. The elixir coursed through his body and caused him to expand and grow giant.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The five giant Seijuu appeared, and the Rangers leapt onto their companions. Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies. "Zord transform!"

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits.

"Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward and combined into an armored warrior: The GalaxyMegazord, Gingaiou.

"Arm up! Gingaiou!" Galaxy Red shouted.

Golden light pulsed across the Megazord as it transformed into its powered-up armor.

Geltskull leapt through the air and chopped the Megazord's chest with a burst of spark. The villain twisted his grip and slashed a pair of strikes that sparked on impact, knocking the Megazord back several steps.

The monster swung again. But GalaxyMegazord used its saber to block the blow, and then punched the monster backward with a burst of spark.

Geltskull recovered and swung his blade through a rectangular pattern. "Mirror bind!"

He carved an energy screen that he hurled towards the Megazord. The energy screen trapped the GalaxyMegazord in a distortion mirror. Geltskull charged and slashed the helpless Megazord with massive bursts of spark that ripped across its armor.

"Gingaiou!" Hyuuga shouted form below.

* * *

Moku, Boku and Ryuuta watched the battle through the mystical mirror that served as their viewscreen. They saw Geltskull hack the Megazord repeatedly.

"This is bad, Boku…" Boku said.

From a nearby table, the blade of KuroKishi Bull Black suddenly stirred. Ryuuta looked in astonishment as the weapon floated from the table and shot from the lair.

* * *

Hyuuga watched helplessly as the GalaxyMegazord struggled above.

Suddenly, the sword of KuroKishi shot towards the scene. The blade stopped in midair above Hyuuga and slowly lowered. Hyuuga looked at the blade quizzically as it lowered into its hands.

"What's happening…" he whispered.

The green gem on the sword's hilt pulsed with power, and the voice of Bull Black spirit's spoke. "Use my blade to fight the Balban and protect your world. Hyuuga…Only you can do it. Only you can carry on my mantle."

Hyuuga heard the rumbling whine of a bull, and he looked to see GoTaurus stomp onto the scene. The Taurozord charged and used its horns to bash the Balban monster backward.

Hyuuga gripped the sword tight by the handle. "GoTaurus…" He looked to the gem in his sword's hilt. "KuroKishi…Let's fight together…to protect the Earth!"

Hyuuga held his blade high. "Knight Rebirth!" Strands of green energy lashed from the sword's hilt and circled around him, morphing him into the black armor of KuroKishi with a burst of flame.

The Black Knight looked up to his zord. "Let's go! GoTaurus!"

The zord's eyebeams shot down and enveloped KuroKishi. The Black Knight's body started to expand and grow giant, and heavy plates of armor wrapped around his body.

KuroKishi turned towards his zord. "GoTaurus! Armor merge!"

The Taurozord crackled with energy and rose onto its hind legs. The zord shifted shape and formed a bulky suit of armor. The Black Knight leapt through the air and slid into the zord. The zord clamped shut around KuroKishi and formed a new zord.

"Armored Black Knight!" KuroKishi shouted. "BullTaurus!"

"Twin Bullsword!" BullTaurus shouted as he armed his double-bladed staff. The zord leapt upward and spun like a tornado as the staff crackled with energy. "Twin Bison slash!"

BullTaurus shot past the monster and slashed through its body with massive bursts of spark. The creature collapsed as secondary explosions tore him to pieces.

The monster's mirror prison vanished, and the Megazord stepped free.

* * *

Ryouma and the others rushed towards Hyuuga below after the battle.

"Hyuuga…" Ryouma said. "Was that really you?"

Hyuuga nodded and looked to the blade of the Black Knight. "I've taken on his power," Hyuuga said. "And I'll use it to fight the Balban."

Above, the Taurozord roared in agreement.

* * *

_**From the children's picture book "Legendary Forrest"**_

_**Written and illustrated by Haruhiko Aoyama**_

_And so, the warrior Hyuuga became the new Black Knight to fight alongside his fellow legendary warriors. His battles strengthened his fierce bond with the warriors, and in particular, Saya, who loved him deeply. _

* * *

The jackal-like Balban monster named Mummorgu stalked towards a fallen woman on the sidewalk near the park. Nearby, Hyuuga and Saya fought through a wave of Yattatoo.

The mummy-themed jackal laughed as he watched the frightened girl freeze with terror. "Your life energy will taste sweet…"

"Stop!" Saya shouted as she leapt through the air and landed between the woman and monster. "I won't let you hurt another woman…"

The monster thrust its arms forward and lashed out with purple-and-yellow bandages that wrapped around the ranger. He used the bandages to lift Saya into the air. She struggled to break free, but could not.

"Saya!" Hyuuga shouted as he kicked a grunt to the ground.

The monster tightened its grip on the ranger.

"Saya!" another voice shouted from nearby.

Saya looked to see Ryouma, Gouki, Hikaru and Hayate run to the scene.

Ryouma armed his boomerang, leapt through the air and chopped through the tendrils. Saya collapsed to the ground as Ryouma, Hyuuga and the others regrouped around her.

"Are you alright?" Hyuuga asked.

"I'll be fine," she said.

Hayate helped the civilian to her feet. "Hurry and run…"

The woman nodded and ran as fast as she could.

"You bastards…" the monster cursed. "That was my prize. Her beauty…her life force!"

The rangers armed their braces.

"Galaxy transform!" They turned the dials on their morphers. "Ha!" They slapped their morphers' activation panels, triggering columns of elemental energy that circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

Hyuuga held his blade high. "Knight Rebirth!" Strands of green energy lashed from the sword's hilt and circled around him, morphing him into the black armor of KuroKishi with a burst of flame.

They snapped into fighting stances.

"Galaxy Red, Ryouma!"

"Galaxy Green, Hayate!"

"Galaxy Blue, Gouki!"

"Galaxy Yellow, Hikaru!"

"Galaxy Pink, Saya!"

"Black Knight! Hyuuga!"

Galaxy Red shouted: "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy! Star Beast Task Force!" Together, they called out: "Galaxy Rangers!"

The Rangers quickly clawed the ground and reached their hands towards the skies.

"Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped them as they morphed into their powered-up armor.

The Rangers and KuroKishi rushed forward and bashed through a group of Yattatoo. Their blades hacked and slashed the grunts with bursts of spark that whipped and hurled their bodies backward.

KuroKishi turned his attention to Mummorgu. The Black Knight leapt through the air and landed while chopping his sword. But just before the blade could connect, the monster flashed with light and separated into strands of bandages to avoid the blow.

The bandages snaked through the air around wrapped around KuroKishi, squeezing tightly. The bandages hurled him off his feet, slammed him against a tree, and then shot him backward against another tree.

The bandages unwrapped and hurled the Black Knight through the air. KuroKishi crashed against the ground. And the bandages rejoined to form the Balban monster.

Mummorgu thrust his palms forward and fired a pair of bandages at the Black Knight.

But Galaxy Pink suddenly swung her blade in front of the bandages. They wrapped around her sword, which she twisted aside to the lock the bandages tight. The Pink Ranger slashed her clawed gauntlet through the bandages with a burst of spark, snapping them free, which sent the monster stumbling backward.

The Black Knight rose to his feet and stood alongside the Pink ranger. He held his sword forward. "Let's go, Saya!"

The Black Knight and Pink Ranger charged with their blades held forward.

The monster thrust his palm forward and fired an invisible burst of energy that exploded around the Pink Ranger and Black Knight. KuroKishi dove forward, rolled across the ground and sprang through the air.

The Black Knight leapt past Mummorgu while slashing him with a burst of spark. KuroKishi continued the leap, landed against the side of a tree, and pushed off to jump back towards the monster.

"Black slash!" KuroKishi somersaulted through the air as his blade chopped through a streak of black energy.

The energized blade slashed through the monster with a massive burst of spark.

Galaxy Pink crouched forward and dashed towards the monster. "Power up mode!"

The Pink Ranger transformed into a globe of pink energy and shot through the monster with a massive burst of spark.

Galaxy Pink rematerialized and landed alongside KuroKishi as the monster toppled to the ground behind them. The creature's energy overloaded and exploded with a massive burst of flame.

* * *

_**From the children's picture book "Legendary Forrest"**_

_**Written and illustrated by Haruhiko Aoyama**_

_And so, Hyuuga took his place as the sixth legendary warrior. As for the others, their lives continued. _

_After weeks and weeks, Gouki finally worked up the nerve to ask Ryuuta's school teacher Miss Julia out on a date. To Gouki's delight, Miss Julia said yes and agreed to meet him for a picnic lunch. _

_But a Balban monster nearly interfered with Gouki's plans. The winged Icengel stunned people with her arrows and brought them to a cave, where she drained their heat — their souls — and placed the energy into an iceberg that extended from the ground. _

_One of her captives was Mr. Aoyama. Young Ryuuta followed them to the cave and watched helplessly as Icengel pulled an energy arrow from Mr. Aoyama's chest. The energy arrow contained his heat. His soul. She slid the arrow into the iceberg, which pulsed with red energy, and Mr. Aoyama collapsed. _

* * *

"Stop!" Gouki shouted as he rushed into a cavern. He jumpkicked a grunt upside the head, bashed an elbow against a grunt's chest, and flipped a third Yattatoo to the ground.

The ranger ran to Ryuuta and helped him sit up. "Ryuuta, you alright?"

"Gouki, the monster put dad's soul in there!" Ryuuta shouted as he pointed towards the ice bulge.

Gouki nodded. "I'll take care of it…"

The ranger dashed and lunged towards Icengel with a jumpkick. But the monster grabbed the ranger and tossed him aside. The ranger slammed against the icy ground and tumbled.

The monster pressed forward with a flurry of strikes that forced the ranger into a cavern outside the cave.

Icengel snapped an arrow that Gouki dove aside to avoid, just as it exploded against the ground with bursts of spark. The ranger rolled to his feet and looked up to see the monster lunge forward.

Icengel kicked Gouki's gut, knocking him back several steps. Gouki lunged with a powerful punch. But the monster sidestepped, grabbed the ranger's arms, and kicked his legs off the floor.

Gouki crashed back-first against the ground, and the monster stomped on the ranger's chest.

"Gouki!" a voice shouted from a nearby cavern.

Ryouma and the other four rangers rushed into the cave. And Ryouma leapt through the air with a flying sidekick that bashed the monster backward.

Gouki pushed himself to his feet as the others regrouped around him. "There's an iceberg in there with people's soul strapped inside."

Ryouma glared ahead. "Let's go…"

The rangers armed their braces.

"Galaxy transform!" They turned the dials on their morphers. "Ha!" They slapped their morphers' activation panels, triggering columns of elemental energy that circled around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

Galaxy Red shouted: "The sword of legend cuts through the galaxy! Star Beast Task Force!" Together, they called out: "Galaxy Rangers!"

Icengel blocked the path into the cave. "I won't let you pass…Yattatoo!"

The grunts teleported into the cavern and charged to attack.

The Rangers unsheathed their sword and returned the charge.

Galaxy Red, Galaxy Green, Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Pink slammed through the Yattatoo with swords slashing and sparking. Their attack let Galaxy Blue charge towards the Balban monster.

Galaxy Blue hopped and chopped his sword. But Icengel dodged the blow. The Blue Ranger twisted his grip and slashed, but the monster used her bow to block the strike with a burst of spark.

* * *

Ryuuta leaned over his fallen father and tried shaking him awake. "Papa! Papa!"

The boy narrowed his eyes and looked to the iceberg where the monster trapped the souls of her captives. Ryuuta rushed to the structure and slammed his fists against the ice. "Give me back my dad!"

He winced as hurt his fists against the ice. He rubbed the sore, then batted his fists against the ice again.

Nearby, the Balban general Iresia stepped from the shadows. "What are you doing, boy?"

Ryuuta paused and opened his eyes wide with shock when he spotted the Balban general.

Iresia extended her crystal ball towards Ryuuta. Invisible strands of energy wrapped around the boy and lifted him from the ground.

* * *

Galaxy Blue dove, rolled across the ground, and rolled into a crouched fighting stance just in time to block the chop of the monster's bow.

Ryuuta's screams suddenly echoed through the passageway.

"Ryuuta!" Galaxy Blue shouted.

Galaxy Blue parried the monster's bow and charged past her to rush towards the caves.

Icengel thrust her palm and fired a tendril of icy energy that wrapped around Galaxy Blue from behind. She used the tendril to reel the Blue Ranger back towards her, and she grabbed him in a chokehold.

Suddenly, explosions sparked against her back and whipped her aside. She dropped Galaxy Blue, who looked to see KuroKishi run into the cavern with his Magna Blaster.

"Gouki!" the Black Knight shouted to his teammate. "Now's your chance!"

Galaxy Blue nodded and ran towards the cave as KuroKishi faced off with the Balban monster.

* * *

Iresia waved her hand over her crystal ball as invisible strands of energy swung Ryuuta through the air.

Galaxy Blue rushed into the cavern from behind the general. "It's the end of the line, Balban!"

Iresia snapped around just as Galaxy Blue charged forward and slashed her with a burst of spark. The blow whipped her backward, causing her to lose her invisible grip on Ryuuta.

Ryuuta fell towards the ground, and Galaxy Blue caught the boy. The Blue Ranger set the boy aside, and then turned to face the Balban.

Iresia thrust her crystal ball forward. Invisible strands of energy wrapped around the Ranger and sparked across is armor.

"Gouki!" Ryuuta shouted.

Iresia whipped a strand of blue energy that wrapped around Galaxy Blue and tightened. The energy strand pulsed with tendrils of electricity that sparked across the Blue Ranger's armor.

Galaxy Blue managed to grab onto the energy strand. And he started to pull, foot by foot, as he dragged the Balban general towards him. The Blue Ranger twisted and grabbed Iresia from behind, holding her close.

He looked to Ryuuta. "Now, Ryuuta!" he shouted. "Break the iceberg!"

Ryuuta nodded with a fierce look of determination. He turned, charged, and bashed his shoulder against the iceberg. The impact shot pain through his shoulder. But he ignored the feeling. He screamed and charged against the iceberg again. And again. His repeated tackles knocked the iceberg slightly with each blow.

Ryuuta shouted a final war cry and tackled the iceberg with another force to topple the structure. The iceberg shattered against the floor with a burst of red light. The life energy of its victims flew free through streaks of crimson energy.

One of the energy streaks splashed across the fallen body of Mr. Aoyama.

Iresia gasped with shock. "How can this be?"

"Good one, Ryuuta!" Galaxy Blue shouted.

The Blue Ranger tossed Iresia aside, and she toppled across the floor. The general rolled into a crouched position and grabbed her robes. "Damn you…I'll remember this!"

She swooshed her robes and blinked from sight.

Nearby, Mr. Aoyma groaned as he pushed himself up to sit on the floor. "Where…where am I?"

"Papa!" Ryuuta shouted as he ran to his father and gave him a hug.

* * *

Outside the cave, Icengel blew a flurry of ice shards that surrounded the other Rangers and KuroKishi like a snowstorm, forcing them backward. The shards exploded with bursts of spark that whipped the Rangers from their feet.

Icengel laughed as she stalked towards the fallen team while holding her bow forward.

"Stop!" a voice shouted from behind.

Icengel turned. And Galaxy Blue landed in front of the monster while chopping her back with a burst of spark.

The other Rangers and KuroKishi regrouped around Galaxy Blue, who aimed his sword at the fallen monster.

"Your plan's over!" Galaxy Blue shouted. "All the life energy you've captured is free!"

"No…" Icengel shouted as she climbed to her feet. "It can't be!"

KuroKishi charged at the Balban and leapt forward.

"Black slash!" KuroKishi somersaulted through the air as his blade chopped through a streak of black energy.

The energized blade slashed through the monster with a massive burst of spark.

The Rangers quickly clawed at the ground and then reached their hands towards the skies.

"Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped them as they morphed into their powered-up armor.

The Rangers leaned forward in animal-like postures as they dashed towards the monster. They held their swords forward, blades pointed upward.

"Power up mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Icengel. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the villain as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Icengel collapsed as secondary explosions tore across her body.

The monster managed to use the last of her strength to take a swig from her vial of Balban elixir, which coursed through her body and caused her to grow giant.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The five giant Seijuu appeared, and the Rangers leapt onto their companions. Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies. "Zord transform!"

The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits.

"Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward and combined into an armored warrior: The GalaxyMegazord, Gingaiou.

Below, the Black Knight summoned his Star Beast. "Taurozord, charge!"

GoTaurus stomped onto the scene. The zord's eyebeams shot down and enveloped KuroKishi. The Black Knight's body started to expand and grow giant, and heavy plates of armor wrapped around his body.

KuroKishi turned towards his zord. "GoTaurus! Armor merge!"

The Taurozord crackled with energy and rose onto its hind legs. The zord shifted shape and formed a bulky suit of armor. The Black Knight leapt through the air and slid into the zord. The zord clamped shut around KuroKishi.

"Armored Black Knight!" KuroKishi shouted. "BullTaurus!"

The monster opened her jaws and blew a flurry of snow and ice that forced BullTaurus and Gingaiou backward. Ice thickened around the head and feet of Gingaiou, holding the GalaxyMegazord in place.

"Twin Bullsword!" BullTaurus shouted as he armed his double-bladed staff.

The Armored Black Knight twirled his staff through a butterfly pattern to blow the ice and snow clear.

BullTaurus charged and stabbed his staff through the monster. Bursts of spark ripped across her body as she shattered into pieces. But the pieces reassembled with a pulse of blue light as the monster reformed.

Icengel laughed and kicked the Armored Black Knight's chest, knocking the zord back several steps.

"What the…" Galaxy Yellow stammered.

"Is she immortal?" Galaxy Blue asked.

"She regenerated," Galaxy Red said. "We have to destroy her before that happens."

The Red Ranger placed his hand over his control console. "Arm up! Gingaiou!"

Golden light pulsed across the Megazord as it transformed into its powered-up armor. The burst of light shattered the ice from the Megazord's head and feet.

"Twin Bullsword!" BullTaurus shouted. The zord leapt upward and spun like a tornado as the staff crackled with energy. "Twin Bison slash!"

BullTaurus shot past the monster and slashed through its body with massive bursts of spark.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Blazing Slash!"

GalaxyMegazord held back its sword. Golden energy washed across the blade until the entire saber pulsed with light. Gingaiou chopped the sword through a streak of energy that slashed through Icengel and tore a gaping gash through her body. The monster tumbled backward as her energy overloaded and exploded.

* * *

Ryouma and the others led Mr. Aoyama and Ryuuta from the cave following the battle.

Mr. Aoyama breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that's over…"

Ryuuta held onto his father by the arm. "Dad, let's go hiking tomorrow…okay?"

Mr. Aoyama nodded. "Sounds good. I'll bring lunch…"

"Lunch…" Ryuuta said as he knitted his brow. Then he opened his eyes wide when he remembered. "Lunch! Gouki, your date with Miss Julia!"

"Ah!" Gouki shouted with panic.

* * *

Gouki ran to the pedestrian bridge where he planned to meet Miss Julia 30 minutes earlier. But he didn't see her anywhere near.

He sighed and lowered his head. "Anyone would go home if they had to wait this long…"

He sighed and sat on a bench, next to the picnic lunch he'd left behind. "And I Just made this, too…"

"Gouki!" a voice called from nearby.

He looked to see Miss Julia hurry to the bridge with a smile on her face. She carried two boxes as she walked towards her date.

"I just went to buy some tea," she said.

"Julia…" Gouki said. "So you waited?"

"Well…" she said. "You made such a wonderful lunch…I couldn't just go back home."

"Well…" Gouki stammered nervously. "Well…okay. Okay, great…"

He smiled sheepishly as he opened the picnic basket.

* * *

_**From the children's picture book "Legendary Forrest"**_

_**Written and illustrated by Haruhiko Aoyama**_

_And so, Hayate went to the city market along with young Ryuuta for supplies. Along the way, Ryuuta explained his desire to become a warrior like the rest of the Gingaman. _

_Hayate advised Ryuuta to study hard, train hard and obey his teachers. But Ryuuta sought something other than obvious advice. He sought the knowledge and insight of a true warrior. _

_Easily distracted, young Ryuuta noticed a fortune teller set up in one of the nearby shops. Ryuuta insisted they visit the fortune teller, and Hayate agreed. _

_Little did they know that the fortune teller was one of the Balban in disguise. The Balban, GaaraGaara, used the palms of his victims to place them under a spell. The victims noticed nothing at first, but then, their bodies slowly turned to stone. _

_The spell harnessed the life energy of its victims, which the Balban would use to revive Daitanix. The Balban monster needed spells from the palms of 300 victims. _

_Hayate and Ryuuta were among the first. _

* * *

Ryuuta limped behind Hayate as they walked across a sidewalk. His stone foot felt cold and numb, as did his stone hand.

"We still have time, right?" the boy asked. "Before we're completely turned to stone?"

Hayate looked at his own hand of stone. "At this rate? I'd say we have about an hour."

"An hour?!" Ryuuta said.

Hayate laid a hand on the boy's shoulder to try calming him. "Listen, Ryuuta…we don't have much time left-"

Ryuuta shrugged off his hand. "Cut it out! How can I be calm after you tell me that?" He turned and started limping away. "How can _you_ be so calm? You're just…you're just cold!"

"Ryuuta…" Hayate whispered.

Explosions suddenly sparked around them and knocked them to the ground.

Hayate rose to his feet and looked to see Sherinda walk to the scene. He snapped into a fighting stance and made sure to keep Ryuuta behind him.

"Ginga Green…" Sherinda said. "It's time we finish our duel."

"Ryuuta…" Hayate said. "Stay back."

Ryuuta nodded and limped to safety.

Hayate armed his morpher.

"Galaxy transform! Ha!" Energy circled around him as he morphed into his Ranger form.

Sherinda took notice of his hand and foot of stone, which weren't covered by his armor. "You'll barely be able to fight in your condition." A feral grin crossed her lips. "But I'm completely fine with that."

She unsheathed her sword and charged to attack.

Galaxy Green unsheathed his sword, held the blade in a reverse grip, and returned the charge. The opponents dashed past one another as their blades clashed.

* * *

The other four Rangers and Black Knight rushed to the lair of GaaraGaara. The monster sat near a demonic circle. Above the circle were strings of papers; each paper represented a palm reading spell.

"Balban!" Galaxy Red shouted as they snapped into fighting stances. "Undo your spells! Now!"

The monster waved his hand. "Yattatoo."

The orange-clad grunts dropped to the ground and charged with their sabers held forward.

KuroKishi armed his rifle. He fired blasts of jade energy that exploded against the grunts with bursts of spark that whipped them backward.

Galaxy Red leapt through the air and chopped his blade towards the monster. The monster lifted its staff, blocked the blow, and knocked the Red Ranger aside.

KuroKishi, Galaxy Blue, Galaxy Yellow, and Galaxy Pink held their sabers forward and charged.

But the monster extended his hand-tipped tendrils, which grasped the Rangers and Black Knight in chokeholds, lifting them from the ground.

* * *

Sherinda dashed back and forth past Galaxy Green and slashed his armor with bursts of spark. The Ranger's stone limbs slowed him down, and he couldn't act fast enough to defend himself.

Sherinda slashed him again with a burst of spark that whipped him off his feet.

Galaxy Green tumbled across the ground, rolled into a crouched stance, and pounced through the air towards Sherinda. But the villain extended her palm and fired a strand of cyan-tinted energy that wrapped around Galaxy Green and suspended him in midair.

The villain used the energy strand to whip Galaxy Green through the air, and he crashed against the pavement,

Galaxy Green started to stand, but the stone on his leg pulsed and crept further upward, reaching his though.

"Hayate!" Ryuuta shouted from behind a building's pillar.

The boy felt his own leg burn numb as the stone crept further up his leg. Ryuuta opened his eyes wide with shock. "It's just like Hayate said…There's no time!"

Sherinda stomped on the fallen Ranger's chest with a burst of spark. "You're getting clumsy, Ginga Green," she said as she stomped on his chest again. "Very clumsy."

"Hayate!" Ryuuta shouted. Without thinking, he limped from the pillar and hurried to help his friend.

Sherinda ignored the boy — until he rushed forward and tackled his shoulder against her.

She hopped backward with surprise and glared at the child. "You little eyesore."

She thrust her palm forward and fired a burst of orange energy.

Galaxy Green leapt to his feet and used his body to block the blast, which exploded against his armor with massive bursts of spark. The impact whipped Hayate off his feet and knocked him from his armor with a burst of green light.

"Hayate!" Ryuuta shouted as he rushed to his fallen friend's side. "Hayate, hang in there!"

"It's okay…" Hayate said as he sat up. He placed a hand on Ryuuta's shoulder. "It's okay, Ryuuta…we still have time."

Sherinda charged, grabbed Hayate by the throat, and hurled him backward. The ranger rolled to his feet in time to block a kick from Sherinda. But she bashed the back of her fist across his face.

"One hour left…" Ryuuta whispered. He realized Hayate wasn't telling him they had only one hour to live. He was saying they had one hour to save themselves,. One hour to act. He was saying that, no matter how much pain you go through, there's always a chance. "He believes that…that's why he stays so calm…"

Sherinda rushed at the fallen ranger. "Die!"

She chopped her blade. But Hayate used his stone hand to block the blow. The impact knocked the blade from Sherinda's hand, and it landed on the ground near Ryuuta.

The boy narrowed his eyes with determination. _Calm…_he thought as he limped towards the sword. _Just like Hayate._

Ryuuta lifted the blade from the ground. "Hayate! Here, catch!"

Ryuuta hurled the blade through the air.

Hayate leapt upward, grabbed the sword, and aimed his descent towards Sherinda with a chop. Sherinda grabbed the blade and used her grip to flip Hayate overhead. Hayate crashed against the ground and tumbled aside.

Sherinda turned and glared at Ryuuta. She thrust her hand and fired invisible bursts of energy. The energy blasts exploded around Ryuuta and the building behind him, knocking chunks of concrete that fell towards him.

Ryuuta covered his head as the debris collapsed around him with a cloud of dust.

"Ryuuta, no!" Hayate shouted.

Sherinda laughed.

Hayate tightened his grip on Sherinda's sword. He gripped the handle so tight, that his knuckles turned white. He glared at the villain and charged with the blade held forward.

The villain extended her hand and fired invisible energy bursts that sparked around Hayate. But Hayate ignored the blasts and continued his charge.

The ranger hopped forward and swung the blade through a streak of green energy that slashed Sherinda with a burst of spark and whipped her backward.

Sherinda crashed to the ground and lost consciousness.

Feeling weak, Hayate dropped to his knees, and then collapsed.

* * *

The Balban monster extended its hand and fired invisible energy blasts that exploded against the Rangers and Black Knight. The burst of spark kicked dirt and smoke into the air.

But when the dirt and smoke cleared, the monster saw no trace of the Rangers or Black Knight.

"What…"

Galaxy Blue suddenly burst from the ground and grabbed the monster by the legs. Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Red leapt as if from nowhere and grabbed the monster by the body and arms.

The Black Knight and Galaxy Pink somersault across the ground in front of the monster. They rose into crouched position. The Black Knight aimed his rifle, and the Pink Ranger aimed her Kiba Dagger in blaster mode.

Galaxy Pink and KuroKishi opened fire with blasts that exploded against GaaraGaara and shattered his staff.

With the staff shattered, his spells broke. Within his lair, strings of papers burst into flames, and the ashes scattered onto the demonic circle below.

* * *

Hayate felt his leg and arm return to normal. His strength returned, and he pushed himself to his feet. He immediately looked to the pile of rubble nearby. "Ryuuta…Ryuuta!"

He dashed towards the rubble and started digging. "Ryuuta, where are you?"

He shifted a block of cement and saw the boy's shoe.

"Ryuuta…" he whispered. He reached in slowly and lifted the shoe. He held it close and closed his eyes. "Ryuuta…you can't be…"

The rubble stirred, and Ryuuta climbed out from the pile. He looked bruised, bloodied, and battered, but alive.

"Hayate…" he said with a smile. "I took cover under that bench. I-"

Hayate immediately ran to Ryuuta and swept him up in a hug. "Ryuuta!"

Hayate hugged the boy tightly and started to cry.

"Hayate…what's wrong?" Ryuuta asked.

"Ryuuta…" Hayate said between tears. "Ryuuta, thank god…I thought."

"Hayate…" Ryuuta said as tears swelled in his eyes. "Hayate, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be…" Hayate said. "You're OK…that's all that matters."

Moku spoke through Hayate's bracer. "Hayate, Ryouma and the others need your help. They face a formidable opponent."

"I'm on my way," Hayate said. He looked to Ryuuta. "Let's go."

Hayate and Ryuuta ran from the scene, leaving Sherinda behind. The villain crawled towards her sword and called out to the ranger.

"Ginga Green!" she shouted. "Our duel is not over! Fight me! Fight me!"

* * *

_**From the children's picture book "Legendary Forrest"**_

_**Written and illustrated by Haruhiko Aoyama**_

_And so, Hayate joined his teammates in defeating GaaraGaara. _

_The warriors of the Ginga Forrest faced several battles in the days afterward. They defeated the serpentine MerudaMeruda. And they destroyed the pharaoh-themed Desufuiasu. _

_But nothing could prepare them for the arrival of a newcomer named Bezunera, whose enemies called him Deviot._

**To be continued…**


	16. A Dark Merchant

**A Dark Merchant**

Young Ryuuta walked into the lair to visit Moku and Boku, and to his surprise, he saw the rangers scattered about at small tables. They chiseled wood, beaded string, and made other crafts. When Ryuuta asked what they were doing, Hyuuga explained they were preparing for the Star Festival.

"The Star Festival?" Ryuuta asked.

Hyuuga smiled and nodded. "It's a tradition back home. We celebrate every year by getting together. Praying for peace…"

Saya nodded. "Everyone would gather and send their prayers to the stars."

"Sounds…fun?" Ryuuta asked with uncertainty.

"It is," Gouki said as he held up a string of beads. "We hang these on trees, start a bonfire, eat great food, sing and dance, eat more great food…"

"When is it?" Ryuuta asked.

"Tomorrow night," Ryouma said. "I know it won't be the same without being home. But it's an important festival…we don't want to pass it up."

"That does sound fun," Ryuuta said. "I'll help!"

He moved next to Saya at a table and started to help her string beads.

"Hey Ryuuta," Hikaru said. "If you're going to be in the festival, you'll need to memorize the Warrior's Oath."

"There's an oath?" Ryuuta asked.

Ryouma nodded. "Before the festival starts, each chosen warrior swears an oath."

Ryuuta's eyes opened wide with wonder at the thought of taking this warrior's oath.

"So Hikaru…" Hayate said as he strung a pair of feathers together. "You have it memorized, right? Say some of it for Ryuuta. 'If a warrior…'"

Hikaru hesitated. "Um…the festival's not tonight; it wouldn't be right to say it now."

Hayate grinned. "That's what I thought."

"'If a warrior falls into battle or despair,'" Hyuuga said, "'their spirit will not forget peace. Nor will their soul forget their friends. The power they have, is all that they have. But their friendships give power to contain misery and sorrow. To protect this forest. This planet. And all planets. To protect the stars.'"

Ryuuta wrinkled his nose. "That sounds tough to remember…"

Hayate looked to Hikaru. "That's only part of it, too. Hikaru, you need to memorize the whole thing by tomorrow."

Hikaru shrugged. "We don't need to bother swearing that much. We're already fighting the good fight the way we should, and that's more important than words."

"Hikaru…" Hayate started to chide, but Hyuuga interrupted.

"It's fine," Hyuuga said. "The words of the oath are just words. Once you're out in battle for the first time…you understand the meaning of those words. Right, Hikaru?"

Hikaru hesitated. "Um, right. That's what I meant. I know the _meaning_ of the words."

Hayate sighed. "It would be nice if you actually did."

* * *

General Batbos stormed onto the deck of the Balban ship, where Bukarates gathered with Iresia, Sherinda, and Capt. Zaihabu. The general nearly stumbled and fell at the overwhelming stench of incense.

"What the hell is that?" he grumbled. "Iresia…your magick smells like shit."

"Batbos…" Iresia said. "You weren't even summoned, so why are you here?"

"Move!" he shouted as he shrugged Iresia aside to stand before the captain. "Capt. Zaihabu…_he_ is coming."

Capt. Zaihabu grumbled thoughtfully. "I see…he must have heard of our awakening. Took the bastard long enough…"

"Who is this you speak of?" Iresia asked.

"The Dark Merchant," Sherinda said. "Bezunera."

Bukarates stumbled backward with surprise. "What? Deviot?! That weapons merchant is coming here? How could he possibly still be alive after 3,000 years?"

"He's a resourceful bastard," Zaihabu said. "He ran the greatest black market in the quadrant. If he acquired something I'd like, he'd contact me through Batbos."

"What could he possibly have?" Bukarates asked.

* * *

A rugged freighter swooped into Earth's atmosphere while dragging a massive carrier with a pair of grappling chains. The freighter released the chains, and the carrier skid to a landing in the mountains outside Stone Canyon.

The freighter left the carrier and flew towards the ocean castle of the Balban.

* * *

The Dark Merchant Bezunera walked onto the bridge of the Balban ship and opened his arms wide with a greetings. "My friends! It has been too long…"

Batbos tilted his head, taken aback at the sight of the merchant's cybernetic appearance. "Bezunera?"

"Batbos!" the merchant said as he walked to the general and grabbed his hand with a shake. "Yes, I suppose I look different. These enhancements have kept me alive for centuries!"

Sherinda shifted impatiently. "Hurry up and state your business."

"Yes, well…of course, of course," Bezunera said. "Let me see…3,000 years ago, it was the Seijuu that sealed you away, correct?"

Bukarates nodded. "And they're still in the way…"

"Good, good," Bezunera said. "As I heard. Captain…I have a wonderful weapon that will let you kill all the Seijuu, all at once."

Sherinda narrowed her eyes with doubt. "What sort of weapon could you possibly have that would do that?"

"Something powerful and ancient," Bezunera said.

"Show me…" Zaihabu said.

"Of course, my fearsome captain," Bezunera said. "But before I do…I'd ask you to lend me some of your Yattato. You see…I still need to complete the weapon's control device."

Iresia scoffed. "So it's incomplete, is it?"

"No need to worry, beautiful sorceress," Bezunera said. "I will complete the device very soon. The weapon itself is in sound shape."

* * *

Moku felt the earth for miles and miles in every direction. He felt one with every blade of grass and every tree. He even felt attuned to the roots and plants that sprawled beneath the cities.

He felt those plants stir, and he snapped open his eyes.

"Rangers, the Balban are attacking the city's people!"

* * *

A group of Yattato chased citizens through the streets of Stone Canyon. People ran and screamed with panic at the sight of the orange grunts.

A businessman stumbled over his own feet and fell. A Yattato leapt at the fallen man and chopped its blade. But a saber blocked the blow, and a boot kicked the grunt back.

The Galaxy Rangers had arrived; they spread through the plaza to attack.

KuroKishi armed his rifle and fired green energy bursts that blasted through grunts with bursts of spark.

Nearby, Galaxy Red parried a sword and swung downward with a powerful slash that tore a grunt open with bursts of spark.

Meanwhile Galaxy Green leapt through the air with a corkscrew kick that bashed a soldier off its feet.

Galaxy Blue swung powerful punches and elbow strikes that smashed Yattato to the ground before they could come close to striking him.

Galaxy Pink kicked the legs out from a Yattato and clawed the soldier's face with bursts of spark.

Galaxy Yellow somersaulted underneath a sword swing, rolled into a crouched position, and snapped his leg up to kick a soldier backward.

None of the Rangers noticed Bezunera watch from the cover of a nearby pillar, at the base of a building.

"Now then…" he said quietly as he activated a button on his left gauntlet. "Let's make this worthwhile…"

The button triggered a massive energy wave that moved across the plaza like a giant slinky.

The Rangers spotted the massive vortex and dove aside. But Galaxy Yellow and Black Knight didn't leap far enough in time. The vortex slid over them, teleporting them away, and then vanished.

"Hyuuga!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Hikaru!"

Galaxy Green activated his communicator. "Moku…what happened?"

"I'm uncertain," Moku said. "I cannot sense their position."

"That can't be," Galaxy Pink said.

"Don't worry," Galaxy Blue said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "We can still start looking, right? We'll find them."

* * *

Boku didn't share Galaxy Blue's confidence. He hovered anxiously through the lair. "What will we do, Boku?"

Ryuuta plucked the acorn from the air and held him close. "They'll be okay, Boku…You've gotta believe in them."

* * *

The sun burned bright ion the mountains outside of Angel Grove and Stone Canyon.

Hikaru's vision blurred slowly back into focus. He found himself in a transparent cylinder, wrapped with red wires. He climbed to his feet and looked out to see Hyuuga chained between two posts nearby.

"Hyuuga!" he shouted. "Hyuuga, wake up!"

Hyuuga lifted his head as he returned to consciousness. "Hikaru?"

"Hyuuga!" he shouted as he tried to push his way through the cylinder. But the tube electrocuted him, knocking him back. "Damn…"

"You okay?" Hyuuga asked.

"Yeah," Hikaru said. He shook his head and rolled his hands into fists. "I'm sorry I got us into this mess. I acted too cocky. I didn't move fast enough."

"Now's not the time to be hard on yourself," Hyuuga said. "The fight's just started."

"Right," Hikaru said as he started to arm his bracer — but he noticed the morpher missing from his wrist. He opened his eyes wide with shock. "They took my morpher!"

Hyuuga looked to his belt and noticed the Bull Saber missing. "They have my sword too."

Laughter came from nearby. They looked to see Bezunera walk towards them with a group of Yattato.

"Looking for these?" the villain asked as he held a sack containing the Ginga Brace and Bull Sword.

"Balban!" Hikaru shouted. "Let us go! Now!"

"Do you really expect me to say yes?" Bezunera said. "Wouldn't that be amusing? Besides, shouldn't you be asking who I am? Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Dark Merchant, Bezunera."

"I don't care about your name!" Hikaru shouted. The teen thrust his hand forward. "Ha!"

He fired a burst of lightning from his palm. But the lightning struck the tube and spread across its wires, collecting at the top of the prison. The prison siphoned the energy and fired a burst of power into a remote Bezunera held above his head.

"Thank you for that," Bezunera said as he waked towards his prisoner. "This cage is special, Ranger. If you use your Aasu, the cage absorbs it, and uses its power to energize my remote."

Bezunera turned to Hyuuga. "Hurt him. Badly."

Yattato started kicking Hyuuga and bashing the pommels of their swords across his head.

"Stop it!" Hikaru shouted.

Bezunera laughed at the teen's distress. "You want to help him? Then by all means, use your Aasu. Try to break from your prison."

Hikaru narrowed his eyes as he watched the Yattato beat Hyuuga. He shifted anxiously, wanting to break free to help. But he didn't want to give in to the villain's demands.

Bezunera lifted the remote. "Go on…" he told the Ranger. "Just a few more bursts should do it. Escape and help your comrade…"

"Hikaru, don't!" Hyuuga shouted as the grunts pommeled him.

Hikaru gritted his teeth. He faced Bezunera and glared. "I won't…There's no way I'll cooperate with you."

"Very well, very well," Bezunera said. He looked to the Yattato. "The Yellow Ranger here is far too good and noble to give into our demands. Beat his friend to death."

The Yattato smashed the pommel of their sabers against Hyuuga, kicked him, and smashed their hilts across his head.

"Hyuuga!" Hikaru shouted.

The yellow GingaWolf stomped through the city streets, followed by GingaLion. The Red Ranger stood on top of his giant Star Beast's head.

"No trace of them…" he whispered. He opened up a commline to his teammates. "What about you guys?"

The other Rangers reported from their own Star Beasts, fanned out in a search pattern. They reported no luck.

* * *

Hyuuga slumped in his chains, barely conscious. The Yattato beat him nearly to death but stopped, and then left, to let Hikaru see the results of their handiwork.

Hikaru sat in his cell and leaned back. He felt completely helpless. And lost. He didn't know what to do. Not at all.

Bezunera stomped towards the ranger's cell and kicked dirt at it. "You're becoming quite annoying, Ranger." The villain looked to Hyuuga, and then back to Hikaru. "Very well…I will leave you to sit here and listen to the dying moans of your friend…I hope you enjoy.

The villain walked off, leaving Hyuuga and Hikaru alone.

Hyuuga waited until Bezunera left to lift his head, ever so slightly.

"Hikaru…" he said with a raspy voice. "You did a good job staying patient…Just hang in there…a little longer."

Hikaru shook his head. "I can't watch them do that to you again."

"Hikaru…" Hyuuga whispered.

"No…" Hikaru said as he stood. "No! I let them beat you! You almost died…I can't sit through that again. We don't even know what that stupid remote does. It's not worth it. Next time, if they lay a hand on you, I'm using my Aasu and getting us out of here!"

"Hikaru, calm down," Hyuuga pleaded. "Ryouma and the other will find you. Did you already forget the oath?" Hyuuga looked up into the cloudy sky and thought of his friends. "'If a warrior falls into battle or despair, their spirit will not forget peace. Nor will their soul forget their friends. The power they have, is all that they have. But their friendships give power to contain misery and sorrow.' Believe in your friends."

Hikaru breathed deeply to calm himself. "Misery and sorrow…"

"That's right…" Hyuuga said, his voice weakening. "To protect this planet. And all planets."

Hyuuga's head slumped as drifted from consciousness.

"Hyuuga," Hikaru called. He rolled his hands into fists and looked down.

He remembered Hyuuga's words from earlier: _"The words of the oath are just words. Once you're out in battle for the first time…you understand the meaning of those words. Right, Hikaru?"_

Hikaru knitted his brow with determination. "Hyuuga…"

He looked around his small prison and glanced up at the top of the cylinder. He reached upward.

* * *

Hours passed.

Bezunera walked towards Hikaru's prison, where the ranger sat with his head against his cell.

"I trust you're well rested," Bezunera said. "Have you come to your senses now?" He looked to Hyuuga, who stirred awake. "If you let us hurt your friend again…aren't you afraid that would tarnish the good name of the Gingaman?"

"Yeah…" Hikaru said quietly. "I guess it would."

"Wonderful," Bezunera said. "It sounds like you're finally willing to cooperate."

Hyuuga struggled against his chains. "Hikaru…"

"No…" Hikaru said to Bezunera. "I won't cooperate."

"So you'll abandon your friend?"

"I won't do that either," Hikaru said.

Hikaru stood and glared at Bezunera. "I found another solution…I can die instead. With my own Aasu."

"Try to kill yourself with the Aasu, and the prison will simply absorb the energy…" Bezunera said.

Hikaru thrust his hand forward and fired a burst of lightning from his palm. The lightning thrashed inside the cage and backfired against Hikaru, knocking him off his feet.

Bezunera looked up to the top of the cage — which didn't absorb any energy. "What?! The device is broken!"

Hikaru climbed to his feet and hurled another bolt of lightning, which ricocheted within the cage and splashed against his chest, knocking him down.

"Clever, clever, Ranger…" Bezunera said. "You're planning on me to open the cage to stop you. That won't be happening…"

"Ha!" Hikaru climbed to his feet and hurled another bolt of lightning. The lightning sparked within the cage and knocked Hikaru back.

"Hikaru, stop!" Hyuuga shouted.

"Sorry, Hyuuga…" Hikaru said as he climbed to his feet. "This was the best I could come up with."

He thrust his hands forward and fired a stream of lightning that thrashed around the prison with bursts of spark and secondary discharges. He gritted his teeth and intensified the lightning, letting his Aasu pour through his veins and through his palms.

The discharges knocked the ranger back off his feet.

Hikaru felt weak and burnt out. His body burned with fatigue. But he knitted his brow with determination and started to push himself slowly to his feet. "'If a warrior falls into battle or despair…their spirit will not forget peace…"

The teen collapsed, and his eyes closed. Yellow energy ebbed from his body pulsed within the prison capsule.

Bezunera grumbled with annoyance. "All that wasted energy…!"

The villain opened the prison.

Hikaru immediately pounced to his feet and kicked Bezunera backward. The impact knocked the villain off his feet, and he dropped the sack containing the Ginga Brace and Bull Sword.

Hikaru lifted the sack with one hand, and lifted his other hand towards the sky. He fired a massive bolt of lightning from his palm, and the lightning lit the sky like a signal flare.

* * *

Galaxy Red spotted the bolt of yellow lightning streak upward in the far off distance. He opened a commline to his teammates.

"I found him!"

* * *

Hikaru strapped his Ginga Brace onto his wrist. He thrust his hand towards Bezunera and fired a bolt of lightning that knocked him off his feet with bursts of spark.

The teen stepped forward and armed his morpher.

"Galaxy transform! Ha!" Columns of lightning circled around him as he morphed into his Ranger form.

Galaxy Yellow ran to Hyuuga and pulled his chains free. The Yellow Ranger handed Hyuuga the Bull Sword.

"Believe in your friends. Right, Hyuuga?"

Hyuuga nodded and took his sword. "Well done…"

Hyuuga snapped his sword open and lifted the blade towards the sky.

"Knight Rebirth!" Strands of green energy lashed from the sword's hilt and circled around him, morphing him into the black armor of KuroKishi with a burst of flame.

Bezunera climbed to his feet near the prison capsule. "My perfect plan…ruined!"

"Far from perfect," KuroKishi said.

The Black Knight switched his sword and scabbard to blaster mode and opened fire. Energy bursts exploded through the prison, scattering it to pieces with a shockwave that knocked Bezunera off his feet.

"Brother! Hikaru!" a voice shouted from nearby.

Galaxy Yellow looked to see Galaxy Red and the other Rangers run onto the scene.

"Guys…just in time for the big finish," Galaxy Yellow said as he playfully slapped Galaxy Green on the chest. "I learned the oath, by the way."

Bezunera climbed to his feet as smoke sizzled from his armor. "All five of you?" The villain snapped his fingers. "Yattato!"

A group of grunts dropped to the grunt and charged towards the Rangers to attack.

Galaxy Red armed his Seijuukin in his main hand and his Kiba Cutter in his offhand. He leapt through the air and landed while slashing both weapons through a grunt's chest with bursts of spark. He swung the blades as one, slashing left and right through the Yattato.

Galaxy Green leapt over two Yattato while stomping their collar bones, driving them to the ground. While in midair, he kicked two grunts and used the footing to flip backward.

Galaxy Blue grabbed a Yattato by the neck and kneed the grunt in the chest. He slammed a back kick against a grunt that tried to sneak up from behind.

Galaxy Pink dove through the air and tackled a Yattato to the ground. Staying low, she swept the legs out from a second grunt and clawed him across the face with bursts of spark.

The Black Knight and Yellow Ranger charged at Bezunera. KuroKishi chopped his sword, but the villain used his gauntlet to parry the blow.

Galaxy Yellow chopped his blade through a diagonal arc. But Bezunera parried and bashed the back of his fist across the Yellow Ranger's head, whipping him backward.

KuroKishi moved in from behind and swung his sword. But the villain used two hands to block, holding the weapon high. Bezunera smashed a flurry of knife-hand strikes against the Black Knight's chest that sparked on impact and knocked him to the ground.

The Black Knight tumbled aside and rose to his feet as the other Rangers regrouped around him.

The Red Ranger held his blade forward. "Let's power up!"

The Rangers quickly clawed the ground and then reached their hands towards the skies.

"Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped them as they morphed into their powered-up armor.

KuroKishi somersaulted through the air as his blade chopped through a streak of black energy.

"Black slash!" The energized blade slashed through Bezunera with a massive burst of spark.

The Rangers leaned forward in animal-like postures as they dashed towards the villain. They held their swords forward, blades pointed upward.

"Power up mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Bezunera. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the villain as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Secondary explosions of energy sparked across the villain's body. But he reached upward and grasped his remote. The energy from the Lights of Orion attack ebbed from his body and flowed into the remote, fully energizing it.

Bezunera laughed as he turned to face the Galaxy Rangers. "Thank you, Rangers. Thank you. Now…my remote is charged. Prepare to be the first to see my amazing machines of destruction!"

The villain placed the remote near his mouthpiece. "Zenith CarrierZord!"

In the distance, the massive carrier rumbled to life. The carrier arose upright, revealing several launch bays.

"Stratoforce! Centaurus! Launch!"

The carrier launched two groups of five zords. The first group combined to form a blue-armored Megazord: Stratoforce. The second group combined to form a red-armored Megazord: Centaurus.

Bezunera spoke into his remote. "Stratoforce! Centaurus! Attack the Rangers!"

The two enemy Megazords leaned downward and fired pulses of energy that exploded around the Rangers with massive bursts of flame, hurling them through the air.

The Rangers quickly rolled to their feet.

"Star Beasts, arise!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The five giant Seijuu appeared, and the Rangers leapt onto their companions. Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies. "

"Zord transform!" The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits.

"Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward and combined into an armored warrior: The GalaxyMegazord, Gingaiou.

The Red Ranger placed his hand over his control console. "Arm up! Gingaiou!"

Golden light pulsed across the Megazord as it transformed into its powered-up armor.

Below, the Black Knight summoned his Star Beast. "Taurozord, charge!"

GoTaurus stomped onto the scene. The zord's eyebeams shot down and enveloped KuroKishi. The Black Knight's body started to expand and grow giant, and heavy plates of armor wrapped around his body.

KuroKishi turned towards his zord. "GoTaurus! Armor merge!"

The Taurozord crackled with energy and rose onto its hind legs. The zord shifted shape and formed a bulky suit of armor. The Black Knight leapt through the air and slid into the zord. The zord clamped shut around KuroKishi.

"Armored Black Knight!" KuroKishi shouted. "BullTaurus!"

The four Megazords faced off with one another. But suddenly, Gingaiou and BullTaurus lowered their weapons. And the Rangers' control consoles stopped spinning.

"What's happening…?" Galaxy Pink asked.

KuroKishi couldn't will his zord to move.

"GoTaurus doesn't want to fight…" he said.

Galaxy Red kept thrusting his hand over his control console. But the console wouldn't respond.

"Neither do GingaLion or the others!" Galaxy Red shouted.

Bezunera watched from below. "Of course they won't fight, Rangers," the villain said. "That's because Centaurus and Stratoforce are the same as your Star Beasts!"

"What?" Galaxy Blue shouted with disbelief.

"It can't be," Galaxy Pink said.

Centaurus stomped forward and bashed its fists against BullTaurus with massive bursts of spark. Stratoforce charged at Gingaiou and slashed the Megazord. The GalaxyMegazord and Armored Black Knight did not fight back.

Centaurus and Stratoforce fired bursts of energy that exploded against the Megazords and knocked them to the ground.

Galaxy Yellow climbed to his feet within his cockpit. "Are those things really Seijuu?"

Bezunera laughed from below. "They're _obviously_ Seijuu. But only in their original forms."

"Original forms?" Galaxy Red asked.

"Count the number of planets destroyed by the Balban," Bezunera said. "Among them was a planet of Star Beasts. All of them, wiped out, their corpses floating aimlessly for hundreds of years. I took these Seijuu, resurrected them, and turned them into machines."

"You bastard…" Galaxy Red said.

"The former Seijuu who fought the Balban to protect their planet are now my puppets," Bezunera said. The villain lifted his controller to his mouthpiece. "GingaRhino. GingaPhoenix. Show your power."

Centaurus armed a rifle, and Stratoforce armed a boomerang.

The GalaxyMegazord and BullTaurus climbed to their feet.

"Stop!" Galaxy Red shouted.

Stratoforce ignited its boomerang with blue energy. The zord hurled the weapon, which slashed the Megazords with massive bursts of spark and electricity.

Centaurus aimed its rifle and fired beams of red power. The beams blasted the Megazords with bursts of spark that whipped them off their feet.

Bezunera laughed with amusement. "Alright. I think the Star Beasts have enjoyed their reunion quite enough." He lifted his control. "Stratoforce. Centaurus. Fall back. We need to tell the Balban the wonderful news…"

* * *

The Dark Merchant walked onto the deck of the Balban ship. "So how did you like them? My giant machines, GingaShark, GingaRhino and GingaPhoenix."

Bukarates waddled towards the merchant. "You still haven't mentioned your pay…"

"I'm sure we can come to an arrangement," Bezunera said. "The Rangers' Star Beasts won't fight…They'll be destroyed at once. Unless you miss the opportunity for this bargain."

"Very well…" Capt. Zaihabu said. "Name your price."

"Five boxes of gold coins should do," Bezunera said.

"Five boxes?" Iresia asked. "That's a ludicrous price…"

"Is it?" Bezunera asked. "The captain doesn't seem to think so."

Yattato carried five boxes of coins and laid them at the captain's feet. Capt. Zaihabu flipped open the lids to show the coins.

"There," the captain grunted. "Your payment."

"Perfect," the Dark Merchant said. "Our negation is over."

Iresia took a step back. "Captain!"

Sherinda glared at the general. "Don't be selfish, Iresia."

"Selfish?" Iresia asked defensively.

"Iresia," Zaihabu said. "I will leave you as the general in charge."

He took the remote from the Dark Merchant and handed it to Iresia. "Use this to crush those Star Beasts. You will have our own reward for reviving Daitanix."

Iresia smiled beneath her veil as she took the remote. "Very well, my captain." She looked towards the crew-quarters doors. "Baruki! Come!"

She summoned a bulky monster with a burst of green mist. The creature looked like a yeti, covered with thick green scales, a red face and black chest. Massive claws extended from its hands.

"Baruki…" the monster growled.

Iresia handed the remote to her monster. "Baruki…I'm counting on you."

* * *

The rangers regrouped with Moku, Boku and Ryuuta. Even in their lair, they heard the Star Beasts roar aboveground.

"The Seijuu are angry…" Moku said.

Gouki punched the wall. "Kidnapping Star Beasts. Turning them into weapons…and forcing them to fight their friends!"

Saya shook her head. "Is there any way to reach them?"

"It will be difficult," Moku said. "They are completely under the Balban's control."

Ryuuta shook his head with disbelief. "So if they attack again…what will you do?"

Ryouma looked aside.

Hyuuga walked to the nearest table and lifted a string of beads. "Tonight was supposed to be the Star Festival…" he said. "The Star Beasts were born from the stars…to protect the planet. A lot of Seijuu may have died over the years…but the hearts of the Seijuu won't die…"

He lifted the beads and clutched his hand into a fist. "Believe that. And turn all your hearts, your feelings for this planet, into one. That's what the Star Festival is about."

Ryuuta wrinkled his nose. "Turn your hearts into one?"

"That decoration is the symbol of the relationship between the hearts of the Seijuu and the Legendary Warriors," Moku explained.

Ryuuta looked to the decorations. "On a day like that…you can't hurt them. The other Star Beasts…I'm sure they're sad. They have to be."

Ryouma knitted his brow with determination. "Let's save them. Let's turn them back into a force for good."

Hyuuga nodded. "The hearts of the Seijuu won't die."

* * *

Baruki stood on a skyscraper in Stone Canyon. He rolled his shoulders and clutched his remote.

"It's been a while since I've been on the battlefield…" he grunted. "I'm going to go all out now…"

The monster lifted the remote. "Zenith CarrierZord!"

The zord drove onto the scene, skid to a halt, and arose upright.

"Stratoforce! Centaurus!" Baruki shouted into the remote.

The carrier launched two groups of five zords. The first group combined to form the blue-armored Stratoforce. The second group combined to form the red-armored Centaurus.

"Destroy the city!" the monster shouted. "And lure out those Star Beasts!"

The Megazords extended their arms and powered up their chest cannons. Centaurus fired pulses of red energy, and Stratoforce fired beams of blue energy. The blasts tore through the city with massive bursts of flame and explosions.

* * *

Moku snapped open his eyes within the lair. "The lost Star Beasts are attacking the city!"

"Let's go," Ryouma said to the others as they started to run from the lair.

"Ryouma!" Ryuuta shouted.

Ryouma stopped and looked over his shoulder. He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll be back in time for the Star Festival. And those other Star Beasts will join us."

* * *

Explosions tore through Stone Canyon. Ryouma and the others ran to the scene, and they looked through the smoke to see Centaurus and Stratoforce towering over the city.

Hayate narrowed his eyes and looked around. "Someone has to be controlling them."

Hyuuga nodded. "We'll grab the remote, and break the Seijuu free."

Suddenly, the rangers heard a roar in the distance. They looked to see their own Star Beasts stomp onto the streets.

Gouki smiled at the sight of them. "Seijuu!"

"GingaLion!" Ryouma called to his Star Beast.

The Seijuu faced off with Centaurus and Stratoforce. The lion roared, shaking the streets.

Baruki laughed mockingly. "So, Seijuu. You've come…" He activated his remote. "Centaurus! Stratoforce! Kill them!"

The Seijuu stepped into defenses stances and roared, calling out to their lost companions. They stood steadfast and strong, and pleaded. But the enemy Star Beasts didn't listen.

Centaurus armed his cannon and fired beams of red energy. The blasts exploded around the Seijuu with bursts of spark.

Moku spoke to the rangers through their communicators. "The only way to stop those Star Beasts is to find the controller."

Ryouma nodded. "Let's go."

The rangers split up, ran across the streets and searched for the controller. Ryouma ran with his brother, Gouki paired with Hikaru and Saya joined Hayate.

Above, Baruki shouted into his remote. "Don't hold back! Go all out!"

The evil Star Beasts charged. Centaurus bashed Gingarilla to the ground. And Stratoforce grabbed GingaCondor by the wings, pulled him off his feet and hurled him through the air.

Nearby, Ryouma and Hyuuga hurried up a fire escape and ran onto a rooftop. There, they faced off with Baruki.

"Balban!" Hyuuga shouted.

"We won't let you keep controlling the Star Beasts!" Ryouma shouted. "Hand over that remote!"

"You want it? Come and get it!" Baruki shouted. "Yattato!"

The monster summoned a group of orange-skinned grunts, which landed on the rooftop. The grunts charged to attack.

Ryouma dove aside, rolled to his feet, and flipped a grunt aside. Hyuuga round-kicked a grunt and punched another Yattato off his feet.

Below, the other rangers ran up the fire escape to join their teammates. But Yattato ran down the stairs and ambushed the warriors. They clashed with punches and kicks, bashing the grunts off the stairwell.

They bashed through the last of the soldiers and joined Ryouma and Hyuuga on the rooftop.

Baruki faced the teens after the last Yattato fell. "So…you've gathered. All of you…Come at me at once!"

The rangers armed their morphers.

"Galaxy transform! Ha!" They slapped their bracers. Columns of elemental energy circled around them as they morphed into their armor.

Hyuuga unsheathed his sword and held the blade high.

"Knight Rebirth!" Strands of green energy lashed from the sword's hilt and circled around him. He morphed into the black armor of KuroKishi with a burst of flame.

The Rangers stepped into fighting stances.

"The Sword of Legend cuts through the galaxy!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Star Beast Task Force!" Together, they called out: "Galaxy Rangers!"

"Ginga Break!" Galaxy Red shouted as he pounced like a lion.

The Red Ranger tackled the monster, and they plummeted off the rooftop. They crashed against the plaza below, and Galaxy Red rolled quickly to his feet. His teammates leapt to the ground to join him, and they regrouped to face Baruki.

They charged to attack. But Baruki thrust his hand and fired strands of green energy. The blasts thrashed the Rangers with bursts of spark that whipped them backward.

Above, Stratoforce twisted Gingarilla into an arm lock and held him in place. Centaurus aimed and opened fire, blasting the gorilla with bursts of spark.

The evil zord swung his weapon and fired again, blasting GingaLion, GingaWolf and GingaWildcat.

Moku spoke to the Rangers through their communicators. "Rangers, you must hurry. The Seijuu won't last for long."

Baruki and a group of Yattato charged at the Rangers and split them up with a fierce attack.

The monster targeted Galaxy Red and slashed his claws. Galaxy Red unsheathed his Seijuukin and parried. Baruki clawed again; Galaxy Red dove beneath the blow and rolled to his feet.

Galaxy Green leapt through the air and landed while grabbing the monster's chest. But Baruki swatted the Ranger aside.

Galaxy Yellow and Galaxy Blue dove at the monster's legs, grabbed his ankles, and flipped him off his feet. Baruki crashed, and the remote dropped from his hand and bounced across the ground.

Galaxy Red rolled across the ground and grabbed the remote. He rose into a couched stance, and the other rangers regrouped around him.

"It's ours!" Galaxy Red shouted.

"If you're going to have it, then take it like this!" Baruki shouted.

He thrust his hand with a burst of energy that blasted the remote to pieces.

"With that broken, you'll never be able to control the Star Beasts!" Baruki shouted. "They will carry out their final orders…until they die."

Galaxy Red tightened his grip on his sword. "You bastard…"

The Rangers clawed the ground and reached towards the skies.

"Shine! Lights of Orion!" Golden energy enveloped them as they morphed into their powered-up armor.

The Rangers and Black Knight charged to attack.

KuroKishi somersaulted through the air as his blade chopped through a streak of black energy.

"Black Slash!" The energized blade slashed through Baruki with a massive burst of spark.

The Rangers leaned forward in animal-like postures and dashed towards the monster. They held their swords forward, blades pointed upward.

"Power Up Mode!" Galaxy Red shouted.

The Rangers flashed and transformed into five globes of energy that combined into a single comet of golden power that shot towards Baruki. The comet punctured through the monster with a burst of spark, blasted behind the villain, and flashed as the five Rangers rematerialized in mid-air. They twisted to face the monster as they dropped to the ground and landed in animal-like fighting stances.

Baruki crashed as explosions tore through his body. But before he died, he drank from elixir that coursed through his veins, repaired his wounds, and caused him to grow giant.

The monster wasted no time joining the attack. He kicked GingaWolf, hurling the Star Beast off its feet.

Below, Galaxy Red tightened his hands into fists.

"We have to fight with them. Come on!" he shouted.

The Rangers leapt onto their Star Beasts.

Galaxy Red armed his Kiba Dagger and held the blade towards the skies.

"Zord transform!" The Star Beasts transformed into mystical suits of armor as the Rangers dropped into their cockpits.

"Star Beast fusion!" Galaxy Red commanded. "Gingaiou!"

The zords rushed forward and combined into an armored warrior: The GalaxyMegazord, Gingaiou.

The Red Ranger placed his hand over his control console. "Arm up! Gingaiou!"

Golden light pulsed across the Megazord as it transformed into its powered-up armor.

Below, the Black Knight summoned his Star Beast. "Taurozord, charge!"

GoTaurus stomped onto the scene. The zord's eyebeams shot down and enveloped KuroKishi. The Black Knight's body started to expand and grow giant, and heavy plates of armor wrapped around his body.

KuroKishi turned towards his zord. "GoTaurus! Armor merge!"

The Taurozord crackled with energy and rose onto its hind legs. The zord shifted shape and formed a bulky suit of armor. The Black Knight leapt through the air and slid into the zord. The zord clamped shut around KuroKishi.

"Armored Black Knight!" KuroKishi shouted. "BullTaurus!"

Baruki stood alongside Centaurus and Stratoforce. The monster glared at the Rangers' Megazords.

"Do you really think you can stand up against us?" Baruki taunted.

Centaurus aimed his cannon and fired beams of energy that exploded against the Megazords with bursts of spark.

Galaxy Red staggered within his cockpit. "GingaRhino! GingaPhoenix! You're Star Beasts! You have to remember!"

Stratoforce lunged with swings of his boomerang blade. He slashed the GalaxyMegazord and Armored Black Knight with bursts of spark.

Centaurus charged, swung his fists, and bashed the Megazords off their feet. The zords crashed and skid across the street.

Baruki thrust his hand with bolts of energy that thrashed the Megazords, tearing their armor with bursts of spark.

Slowly, the GalaxyMegazord and Armored Black Knight climbed to their feet. Stratoforce and Centaurus stomped towards the zords.

"GingaRhino!" Galaxy Red shouted. "GingaPhoenix! Stop!"

Stratoforce slashed Gingaiou with bursts of spark. And Centaurus blasted the Megazord, knocking it back several steps.

"We're your allies!" Galaxy Yellow shouted.

"We should be fighting together!" Galaxy Blue shouted.

Galaxy Green placed his hand on his chest. "Your hearts haven't died! Wake up!"

Baruki laughed at the Rangers pleas. "They are just mere puppets now."

"You're wrong!" Galaxy Red shouted. "The hearts of the Star Beasts are still alive!"

"Give it up!" Baruki shouted. He thrust his hand with bursts of green energy that blasted the Megazord off its feet. "Now…the final blow!"

Stratoforce lifted his blade, and Centaurus aimed his blaster.

Gingaiou rolled onto his side, and the Star Beasts roared, pleading with their lost allies.

"GingaRhino! GingaPhoenix!" Galaxy Red shouted. "You're Star Beasts! Star Beasts that protect the planet!"

Gingaiou roared, the combined plea of his five components.

Stratoforce and Centaurus hesitated. Gingaiou's pleas stirred something deep inside of them. And those feeling erupted, exploding into righteous anger.

The two zords turned on Baruki. Their faces glowed with light and reverted to normal, and they howled at the Balban monster.

"It can't be…" Baruki said.

Centaurus fired beams of energy that exploded against the monster.

Stratoforce energized his blade and hurled the weapon; it slashed through Baruki with massive bursts of spark, and he dropped to his knees.

Centaurus and Stratoforce helped the GalaxyMegazord and BullTaurus to their feet.

"GingaRhino…GingaPhoenix…" Galaxy Red said with relief.

The Star Beasts roared in unison, reunited at last.

Baruki growled. "You traitors! I'll destroy you all!"

The monster charged to attack. And Centaurus returned the charge. The Megazord bashed its fists against the monster with bursts of spark, knocking him several steps backward.

Stratoforce leapt through the air with a flying side-kick that bashed Baruki off his feet, hurling him through the air.

Slowly, Baruki climbed to his feet. But before he could attack, explosions blasted his body. He looked to his left to see the Zenith Carrier drive to the scene. The zord roared, free from the Balban's control.

The zord opened fire, blasting the monster with bursts of spark.

The GalaxyMegazord armed its sword.

"GalaxyMegazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Blazing Slash!"

GalaxyMegazord held its sword back; golden energy washed along the blade until the entire saber pulsed with light. Gingaiou chopped the sword through a streak of energy that slashed Baruki and tore a gaping hole through the monster's body. The villain stumbled backward as his energy overloaded and exploded.

* * *

Bezunera sat on his treasure chests within the Balban ship. "It can't be…to think that the Star Beasts could reclaim their hearts…"

Yattato rushed into the room and pushed the villain off the treasure. They started taking the chests away.

"Bezunera…" Capt. Zaihabu said. "You failed. We'll be taking your payment. And…your ship."

"My ship?" Bezunera said. "But, my captain-"

"Stop groveling, Dark Merchant," the captain said. "You work for me now…"

* * *

The rangers started the Star Festival that night. They set up a tree decorated with beads, and tables stacked with plates of fruits.

"The Warrior's Oath…" Hyuuga said.

The rangers placed their right fists against their left palms. Ryuuta joined them: "'If a warrior falls into battle or despair, their spirit will not forget peace. Nor will their soul forget their friends. The power they have, is all that they have. But their friendships give power to contain misery and sorrow. To protect this forest. This planet. And all planets. To protect the stars.'"

Behind them, the Star Beasts, Centaurus, Stratoforce and Zenith towered above the trees and roared with renewed determination.

Ryuuta looked up at them and smiled. "I'm glad they could come…that we could all be here together."

Ryouma placed a hand on his shoulder. "Me too, Ryuuta. Me too…"

**To be continued…**


End file.
